Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)

I welcome this motion from Independent Ireland. As someone who was an unpaid carer for my husband before he passed, I have lived the reality of a system that does not value care work, whether it is done in the home, in our communities or in nursing homes. I know first hand the emotional and physical toll and the financial hardship carers face every single day. However, I would do it again because I felt it was the right thing for me to do.

In Sinn Féin, we believe in a fair, sustainable and compassionate model of care that enables people with high care needs to live with dignity at home. Right now, our care system is under enormous strain. Carers are being punished by a broken means-testing system that actively disincentivises people from taking on care roles. We call on the Government to abolish the means test for carers immediately. The Minister of State has said the Government is acting "with a view" to phasing this out over the lifetime of this Government. However, a view is not a guarantee.

Carers alleviate pressures in hospitals and long-term residential care facilities. They are under significant and unsustainable strain due to inconsistent access to services and limited financial supports. Rural areas, such as Clare, are experiencing higher demand, which means the failure to provide timely and adequate home support services leads to an increased number needing to avail of the fair deal system. We also need to end the pay disparity between section 39 and section 38 workers, as was also promised. Please do not let this be another broken promise.

Caring should never come at a cost to a person's financial security or health. The HSE-operated nursing homes received significantly higher funding under fair deal compared with private and voluntary homes. These financial challenges are leading to many nursing homes closing due to financial viability. They are also causing long-term waiting lists for those needing to avail of the system. The fair deal pricing review must be published, as per the commitment in the programme for Government.

It is time to fix the broken system and treat carers not as burdens but as the backbone of our health and social care system. When residential care becomes the appropriate setting, nursing homes need to be fully recognised and resourced.

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