Carers for the elderly are not getting a good deal. Approximately 85% of all care provided for dependent elderly people is provided by non-professional carers. Caring is often done on a 24 hours a day, seven days a week basis, with little help or respite. Carers should be receiving a better deal. If a son or daughter, a niece or nephew is prepared to care for an elderly person, it is much better for that individual and it provides better value for the State than would otherwise be the case if they had to be placed in a nursing home and a subvention had to be paid.