Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I second the motion as clearly laid out by my colleague, Senator Seery Kearney. For too long carers were completely undervalued in this society. I believe it is changing. I believe the mindset regarding carers and the great role they play in our society is changing. This was very much formalised in the clear, precise and concise commitments made in the programme for Government last year.

We are approaching the first anniversary of the formation of this Government. This gives us an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and what has not been achieved. I completely understand that the health service is still firefighting and dealing with emergency planning and decisions because of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are seeing people being vaccinated. Slowly but surely our society and country are beginning to return to normal. One aspect has had to return to normal quicker than anything else. This is the need to ensure proper care processes are put in place and to ensure the people who are delivering the care are properly treated.

I was elected to this House first in 2011. I remember the arguments and debates that took place from then to 2014 about carers and trying to get caring hours and funding to support carers in the home. It was like pulling teeth. It has improved. There is no doubt but that it has improved in recent years. We have the local authority scheme providing housing aid for older people and we have the housing adaptation grant. Millions of euro is being spent in every county to upgrade the homes of people so that they can be cared for in the home.

The Minister knows - we all know - that it is far more cost effective to the State if people are cared for at home and if the structures and infrastructure are in place in homes to care for people there. Having said that, far more has to be done. We need to see the commission on caring established. We need to implement the various recommendations that have been made over the years.We need to place carers at the centre of our thinking and our structure and, as Senator Seery Kearney said, we need proper joined-up thinking between the HSE and the Departments of Health and Social Protection because we need to pay the carers and provide the hours. The caring legislation that has been published to extend the fair deal scheme to people in their homes is critical. The fact that the heads of the Bill have been published is a positive step in the right direction, but we need to see that escalated through these Houses as a matter of urgency. The fair deal scheme is not flawless but is certainly fair and has worked in supporting people who require nursing home care. However, we need to extend the scheme so people have a proper choice as to whether they want to care for their loved ones at home and so the proper financial structure is in place to do that. Respite care, as Senator Seery Kearney pointed out, is critical. People cannot care 24-7, 365 days a year, and the present respite care structure is not good enough.

We need to invest in caring for our carers. This motion is excellent. It is enlightening a debate that has been taking place for a long time within our party and within this House. The House can lead the way in caring for carers.