Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Older people in Ireland may have no choice but to move out of their own homes because they cannot access the care and support services they need to live independently. That is a big statement but it is definitely true. I am receiving calls on a daily basis from families who have been approved for home care support hours but for whom the HSE has been unable to provide staff to carry out the care. The sheer volume of people telling me about their hardship in securing the basic amount of home support hours for their loved ones is enormous. There are people in Longford who must remain in hospitals or nursing homes because of the lack of resources. Simply put, the care hours are there but there are not enough carers to fill those hours, regardless of whether they are hired by a private operator or through the HSE. There has also been an increase in the number of people who have taken on the role of caring for their loved ones. On the other hand, however, some people may need to give up caring for their parents and seek employment because they are unable to access the carer's allowance. I have been dealing with a case where a family member is caring for her elderly parents in the home and has been refused the carer's allowance on two occasions. Her application is being appealed at the moment. If it is refused again, she will have no option other than to seek employment. Who will look after her parents then? There is no chance of getting extra home care support hours in her county.

We know it costs less to look after a person at home than in an acute hospital setting. Why are we not doing everything in our power to promote it? One in ten people provide care for a loved one in the home. By 2030, as a result of our ageing population and the increasing number of people with disabilities or chronic conditions, it is predicted that one in five people will need to take on a caring role. We need to take urgent action to support carers. Families will be unwilling to take on this role if something is not done to improve the system.