Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing this very important motion to the Dáil this morning. The Labour Party believes in a society that values care and invests in it from cradle to grave, so that people have access to the services they need when they need them. In our election manifesto, we will outline our proposals for a new social care contract to support family carers and care workers.

For many years, the Labour Party has campaigned for family carers and care workers, with motions passing in the Dáil and Seanad in 2023. Unfortunately, Government parties have ignored these proposals despite the transformational potential we had in budget 2025. Real change will be needed in the next five years. The next Government will have an awful lot of money in the coffers but will it have the ambition to change those areas that need true transformation, including the role of carers and care workers?

The Labour Party will consider the future recommendations of the commission on care. In the meantime, we will establish a national planning unit for care to oversee all aspects of care planning and implementation rooted fundamentally in the drive to deprivatise care services. A priority will be the mapping of existing services and infrastructure, demographic modelling of future demand and geographic and economic barriers to access.

There are over 500,000 family carers in Ireland and their unpaid work saves the State over €20 billion a year. The 2022 census shows that the number of unpaid carers increased by 53% to over 299,000. That number has most likely breached the 300,000 mark since that census. The Labour Party has proposed long-needed policy changes to support family carers, such as removing the restrictive means test and the low rate of payment, which is not sufficient to meet the financial needs of those caring for dependants. We will carry out an evaluation of carer's allowance and other supports as part of a full cost-of-care review. Parents have consistently told us that the application and appeals process for the domiciliary care allowance is simply not fit for purpose, and the Labour Party will reform it. Labour would also increase the housing adaptation grant. Many of those receiving care not living the quality of life they should, given increased building costs and the current restrictive amount of the grant.

The Labour Party is committed to implementing the carer's guarantee and we have long supported the removal of the means test for carer's allowance. We will phase out the carer's allowance income disregard as part of the development of the new family care payment, in line with the call made by Family Carers Ireland. We will progressively increase the half-rate carer's allowance in recognition of the value of care work and as part of a systemic change to a participation income. We will increase the number of hours per week a carer can work or study to provide for more flexibility.

We will increase the carer's support grant up to €2,500 and ensure that all those in receipt of it are entitled to carer's allowance. We will implement a respite strategy to guarantee access for all family carers with a comprehensive system to map demand and the range of capacities available. We will reform the application and appeals process for domiciliary care allowance to make it fit for purpose and provide for much needed payment increases. We will fully fund the carer's guarantee. We will ensure that kinship care and foster care are properly supported. Labour will replace the mobility allowance and motorised transport grant with the transport support scheme. We will also support family carers to enter or remain in employment or education. We will address anomalies with carer's benefit such as the €450 earnings limit. We will review the home care and dependent relative tax credits to address impacts on single people and those caring for a non-child relative.

As someone who has dealt with hundreds of carers' applications over the past number of years, I am acutely aware of the current problem facing carers in this country. Too many carers are not getting the payment they deserve. Too many face unacceptable delays with applications and the trauma of having to have their applications reviewed and then appealed. Far too many of these reviews are simply not fair and put demands on carers that should not be there. Carers save this State €20 billion each year. Over the past four years I have witnessed through my own office, testimony from carers and those receiving care, advocacy groups like Family Carers Ireland and carers I meet on the doors and in my advice clinics. The €20 billion they save the State every year is an extraordinary amount when put into euro and cent. It is the kind of money that would build numerous hospitals, metro and Luas links, transport infrastructure and housing. This is what carers are doing every day. Yes, it is about being valued and getting the payments they deserve. It is also about respecting the work they do. While the system is not meeting the demands and needs of carers, it is fundamentally undervaluing the work they do for their loved ones, their families, their community and for the State. Despite its riches and despite the increase in some payments, the Government has missed an opportunity to truly reform the world of carers' payments and supports. It is something the next Government must do, and if Labour is part of that Government, we will.

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