Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have just come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, where we had in representatives of Family Carers Ireland. We also heard heartbreaking and powerful testimonies from three families. I want to put on record the name of the three carers and those for whom they are caring. I thank Mr. Damien Douglas, Ms Niamh Ryan and Ms Anna Budayova, and indeed their children, Una, Ailis, Liam and Esther, for their powerful contributions to the committee meeting today. We all know what carers do for us. It is estimated they save this State up to €20 billion per year in costs. One of the issues we discussed today was the means test. There is a growing call for the means test to be disregarded. I support that call. We need to debate the issue. We need to bring the Minister back to the House to speak about what carers do for us in this country, and to talk about getting rid of the means test once and for all.

I also want to raise again the issue of housing adaptation grants. It was discussed at length at the committee meeting today. Unfortunately, the current limit on housing adaptation grants is €30,000. I have cited previously in the House the example of a family with whom I am dealing. The cheapest quote they could get for essential work for a loved one coming out of Dún Laoghaire hospital was €70,000. They are still seeking the adaptation to be carried out. They are still seeking that difference in funding to create a loving home space. In fairness to them, they want to take their loved one home. We need to review the housing adaptation grants. We also need to provide social housing adaptation grants. I am aware there is a two-and-a-half-year waiting list in my own county for social housing adaptation grants. I know of six families who are currently waiting for extensions to be completed on their houses to enable them to care for loved ones.It is simply not good enough and money needs to be provided urgently for those families.

I also want to raise an issue raised by Family Carers Ireland. Many of those families have to fundraise for the difference between the €30,000 and the €70,000 in the case I have just raised. However, as was mentioned this morning by Family Carers Ireland, that funding is now considered as part of the means test. The GoFundMe page that is set up to ensure someone's loved one can come home and stay with them is now included in the means test and many of those people are now being thrown out of the carer’s allowance, for want of a better description. This is simply not good enough. The Oireachtas needs to change this urgently. It is a new phenomenon that GoFundMe pages have to be set up to get the additional money but, unfortunately, it is causing severe problems for those who are entitled to and getting carer’s allowance.

I welcome the justice committee's pre-legislative scrutiny report yesterday in regard to gambling, which is something the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Cassells and I have long campaigned for in this House. We all hope the Bill that was promised comes quickly to this House and the Lower House and we can get some legislation on the books as quickly as possible.