Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

On 21 May this year, Independent Ireland put forward a motion, part of which called for the abolish the means test for carers. The Government said it would not oppose the motion. Budget 2026 is here next week so let us see if the Government puts its money where its mouth is. Family carers save the Irish State over €20 billion every year by providing 19 million hours of unpaid care each week. That is not just a contribution; it is a cornerstone of our health and social care system. These carers are keeping loved ones at home, out of hospitals and nursing homes and giving them dignity and quality of life yet many are denied carer's allowance simply because their spouse earns just over the threshold. That is not support; it is punishment.

We are facing a serious shortage of nursing home beds. In Bantry alone, 17 beds remain closed in Aperee Living Nursing Home - an issue I brought up with the Minister but he did not come back to me - due to delays in HIQA paperwork, despite this home being fully refurbished and passed by the fire officer. Every week, my office hears from families desperately trying to find a bed for loved ones, whether it is in that nursing home, in a community hospital or wherever. It is getting worse and worse. The people on the ground are telling me it is a crisis situation. Do not bother turning to home help. Mother of Jesus, the Government has made a right hames of that anyway. You will get a simple answer: there is no home help available. If you meet the home help people, they say they will do the extra hours but they will not be given them. There is a right cock-up there. It needs to split clean down and started right up from the ground again.

Since 2024, across Cork and Kerry over 11% of public nursing home beds are currently closed due to staffing shortages, refurbishment delays and regulatory bottlenecks. This is happening while families are being forced to look far outside their communities for care. I hold clinics every Saturday across west Cork and I hear the same story every week. A constituent caring full-time for a loved one is unable to work yet is denied support because of household income. These carers are doing full-time work, often more than 35 hours a week - often a hell of a lot more - and still get nothing. It is not good enough; not in 2025. Let us look at the facts. Some 611,828 people aged 15 plus are providing unpaid care; 67,000 children aged ten to 17 are also carers; 69% of carers find it hard to make ends meet; 48% report severe loneliness; 41% have a long-term health condition themselves; and 72% have never received any respite. These are the people who are holding up our care system and yet they are being left behind. The Government has increased income disregards but that still leaves thousands excluded. We, in Independent Ireland, are fully supportive of the complete abolition of the means test. That is what carers need. That is what carers demand. Life is hard for those who need care but it is also hard for those carers. Many get no break, no support and no recognition. The very least we can do is ensure they receive a payment, regardless of household income.

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