Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will have to substantially redefine my understanding of what a significant commitment means if that is what the Minister believes it means. I asked for a detailed timeline and what I got instead from the Minister was a very watery indication that he might at some point do something. We talked at lot about this during the election. The commitment was given and carers need to know it will happen.

In March 2024, the previous Minister announced an interdepartmental group on carers. I have not seen its report, if it has been published. As of last week, I had not seen it. That report needs to be published. If it has not been published, can the Minister commit to its publication?

The Minister referred to a figure of €3 billion. We all read that figure in the media. I have not seen a detailed breakdown. The figure of €3 billion, as the Minister said, refers to where every single person doing any kind of caring declares themselves. The Minister knows that will not be the figure, so it is a red herring that has been put out there.

The Minister needs to be clear that this is a commitment given by the Government and that it will be done by the end of the Dáil term. That is not what he said in his reply. He said he might try. Carers deserve that commitment. They save the State approximately €20 billion each year. The State needs them and they need to know the Minister will look after them.

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