Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister. Senator Bradford is wrong about the lack of volunteers. Dr. Mary Redmond pointed out to us last year that at least 250,000 people do some voluntary work. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, large numbers of people, from all walks of life and of all ages, engage in voluntary work. They are unsung heroes.

Yesterday morning, the Carers' Association, led by its chief executive officer, Mr. Enda Egan, presented an excellent outline of its pre-budget submission and, in so doing, provided an insight into the massive contribution made by home carers to our health service and society. According to the most recent census results, 150,000 people are family carers, of whom 50,000 work in a full-time capacity providing at least 42 hours of care each week. In many instances, full-time caring involves a commitment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These 150,000 carers together provide 3 million hours of care each week, saving the State an estimated €1.5 billion annually in comparative health service care. Combined, they provide 90% of community care. They are responsible for caring for some of our most vulnerable citizens. Being a family carer means caring for a child with a disability, an adult with a disability, a terminally ill spouse or child or an older relative.

One in six of the 150,000 carers receive a carer's allowance of €150,000 per week. Compare this with the cost of providing formal residential care, which ranges from between €600 and €1,300 per week. The carer's allowance amounts to just under €8,000 per annum for providing full-time care. These people provide this massive service on behalf of the health service.

Carers are on constant call due to the high levels of social and health care required. Many carers are in poor health as a result of the physical, social and emotional effects of providing long-term, high level care without basic supports. One of the speakers yesterday, Ms Anne Hughes, a single mother, spoke of her full-time care for her 26 year old child who suffers from an intellectual disability. She said that the strain of full-time caring without support left her suffering from depression and insomnia.

In this context, the pre-budget demands of the Carers' Association are far from unreasonable. It listed nine objective areas where it wishes to see progress in the budget. A national strategy for carers should be developed as a priority and should consist of the following important components: comprehensive services and support for family carers; enhancing and supporting carers' health and well-being; an adequate and fair system of remuneration for carers; education and training for carers; and work-life balanced policies that support carers. Full-time carers should be entitled to a medical card and a comprehensive health check each year to ensure their physical, social and mental well-being is protected. After all, they provide 3 million hours of care every week, a substantial contribution to the care of others.

Full-time carers deserve fair remuneration. As part of a national strategy, the allowance should be increased to €190 per week, which is equal to the nursing home subvention grant the Government gives to private nursing homes to care for disabled people. This allowance should ultimately be increased and linked to the levels of pay of the labour market equivalent within three years. A problem for many family carers caused by current social welfare rules is that a person in receipt of widow's or widower's pension, old age pension or lone parents allowance is not entitled to apply for, or to receive, carer's allowance. The social welfare system only allows a person to receive one benefit. The sum of €153 per week or under €8,000 per year for carers must be re-examined.

Finally, I wish to refer to work-life balance. This issue is of great importance and interest for me. As part of my new approach to child care, I propose to introduce a Bill in the Seanad, the flexible working Bill. If I can get the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, and the Cabinet to agree, it will be introduced in the next couple of months.