Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 14, after line 18, to insert the following:“Review of carer related payments

20.The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection shall review all carer related payments under the remit of her Department and in particular the Carers Support Grant with a view to determining its adequacy and suitability for current needs and shall bring forward a report on the same within 6 months of this Bill being enacted.”.

I welcome the decision today to grant those in receipt of carer's allowance a GP card and I welcome the increase in funding for respite grants. However, there is an issue with how carers are being treated and payments to carers are being dealt with. This amendment calls on the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to review all care-related payments under the remit of her Department, and particularly the carer support grant, with a view to determining its adequacy and suitability for current needs. The Minister would also have to bring forward a report on the same within six months of the Bill being enacted.

We saw in a recent RTÉ programme that over 200,000 people are caring for loved ones throughout Ireland, with a 35% increase in those over 85 caring for their loved ones. The State is getting a massive amount of free care, so we should show a little more respect for carers and ensure payments in particular are protected and reviewed so we can acknowledge the hard work they do across the country. I will be pressing this amendment.