Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

Discussions are taking place between Departments to progress the national carer's strategy. One of the key Government commitments in the national partnership agreement, Towards 2016, is the development of a national carer's strategy which will focus on supporting informal and family carers in the community. While social welfare support is a key element of the strategy, other issues also arise, including access to respite and other services, education, training and employment, all of which will feature strongly in the strategy. Significant interdepartmental co-operation and discussions are taking place to determine if we can make urgent progress on the strategy.

I had planned to establish a forum for carers in the coming weeks to commence the national carer's strategy. However, Deputy Stanton, speaking in the Other House, proposed that I agree to a postponement because the forum could be affected by political timescales. Having considered his proposal, I have agreed not to proceed with it. I hope carers will not misinterpret my decision as indicating a lack of support because the opposite is this case. The purpose of the postponement is to ensure we do not embroil carers in political controversy.

The Government has made great strides in respect of carers in recent budgets. I am particularly proud to have changed the age-old rule that a person in receipt of a carer's payment was not eligible for any other social welfare payment. This meant that carers could receive only one payment. Following the change, carers may retain their social welfare payment and receive carer's allowance at half rate. This is a major advance which can be worth up to €100 per week. A consistent complaint from those on welfare who wanted to provide care was that they would lose their welfare payment if they chose to act as a carer, although they may have been eligible for a carer's payment. Under the new rules such persons will receive one and a half payments. This is a major step forward as it recognises the work done by those who provide care.

I pay tribute to my opposite number in the Other House, Deputy Stanton. Since I took office some two and a half years ago, he has regularly brought to my attention the issue of younger carers. While we have not been able to see eye to eye on the issue, I hope it will be addressed in the national carer's strategy and I will request that the group endeavour to make further progress in this area.

Towards 2016 committed the Government to undertake a study of the extent to which children undertake inappropriate care roles in order to establish the degree to which the practice arises and the level of impact it has on the lives of children concerned. The partnership agreement further states that, based on the outcome of the study and an analysis of the issues identified, a programme of in-home supports will be developed to alleviate specific problem areas identified for children. This provision is in line with the report, Caring Before Their Time? Research and Policy Perspective on Young Carers, published by Barnardos at the Children's Research Centre in September 2004.

This report considered that further research would be undertaken on the number of young carers, the supports available to them, their needs and the impact of their caring role on their education and general development. The report found that of an estimated 3,000 young carers who were providing some care, there were over 300 carers between the ages of 15 and 17 who it was estimated were providing full-time care. Special help, advice and support are essential for people like this, who are often caring for a parent, as well as particular services which should be put in place to support the household and ensure young carers can remain at school. These include the home help and public health nurse services and home care packages generally. The HSE would also be involved.