Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)

When we speak about carers, we are speaking about people who take on a huge responsibility for no other reason than that they deeply care for the person they are providing the care for. Over 500,000 people across this State are quietly caring for their loved ones. They do not do it for reward. They do it out of love.

Carers can be anybody at any stage of their lives. We have parents caring for a child, children caring for their parents, or a close friend who steps in for someone who does not have the family support around them. They do not have the time to protest. They do not have the energy to fight this system and they feel they are being continually ignored by the Government.

There is not a week that goes by where I do not see somebody distraught in my office after being refused their carer's allowance. This means test adds nothing but hardship and stress to lives already stretched to the limit by a system that is not offering them enough support. Carers are struggling and many are living below the breadline. That is a failure of the Minister's Government, especially when we see the billions of euro these carers are saving the State year on year. The very least this Government could do is treat them with the respect and dignity they deserve. The Minister can do that by simply abolishing this unfair and cruel means test.

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