Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I want to take a moment to reflect on an interview I heard on radio yesterday. I do not know if anyone else heard it. It was with three young carers under the age of 18. They were brilliant, kind young people who had taken on a role far beyond their years. The interview came about on foot of new research from Family Carers Ireland. The report suggests that almost 67,000 young people in Ireland, aged between ten and 17 years, provide regular unpaid care for a loved one. That is a large number of young people. The census in 2016 estimated there were 3,000 such carers. The estimate, based on this research, of 67,000 young carers shows there is an enormous discrepancy in the numbers. It is suspected that the reason the census figure is lower is that parents have to fill out the census on behalf of young people.

The Family Carers Ireland report was done in conjunction with researchers in NUI Galway. As I said, approximately 13.3% of young people between ten and 17 years are in a caring role. The report also indicated a number of issues around emotional health and well-being in this group, and lower life satisfaction than their peers. One third of these young carers reported being bullied at school and one in four young carers said they went to school or bed hungry because there was not enough food at home.

We urgently need to address the discrepancies in the national estimate of young carers and this issue needs to be on the national policy agenda. I am making a request that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth come to the House to discuss the issue of young carers and what supports we can provide for them. It is also important that this issue is put onto the national agenda and we do not let this slide. One in four of these young carers going to bed hungry is a worryingly high proportion. I ask for a debate on this issue.