Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)

The acid test of the bona fides of this Government on carers and caring is the immediate abolition of the means test for the carer's allowance. This has been the demand of carers and Family Carers Ireland for years and was promised by all political parties during the course of the last general election. It was understood by the public that the means test would be abolished within the first 100 days of this Government, but of course we are still waiting. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael misled the public again. The Minister should announce the abolition immediately and should take the opportunity of next week’s budget to do that.

Some 500,000 carers, including 67,000 young carers, are doing 19 million hours of unpaid care a week, thereby saving the State about €20 billion a year. Family Carers Ireland say:

Despite being described as the backbone of Ireland’s health and social care system, Family carers continue to shoulder the consequences of underinvestment in home care supports, outdated policies, eligibility criteria that no longer reflect the realities of modern caring ...

Surveys show that 69% of carers struggle to make ends meet, with 29% having to cut back on food and heat and 23% missing a rent or mortgage payment. Research by the Vincentian Partnership in April 2022, before the cost-of-living crisis, showed that income supports for carers were inadequate and caring households incurred additional weekly expenditure of €244 per week. This effectively wiped out the carer's allowance completely, meaning people were effectively caring for free. Caring is work and should be paid accordingly. Respite is another issue and three out of four carers never receive it. That is leading to a situation where carers become ill and those they care for end up being admitted to hospitals.

The budget next week must do three things. It must abolish the means test for the carer's allowance, it must substantially increase the carer's allowance payment and it must provide targeted supports for families who are caring for persons with complex needs. Last week, I referenced Alex, a 14-year-old boy who is being cared for at home in his bedroom, which is effectively an intensive care unit, with the support of two carers 24 hours a day. This family is under severe general and financial pressure and was recently threatened with electricity disconnection. This week they were refused the fuel allowance on a technicality. This is absolutely shocking and this Government must do better.

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