Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I know that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, is very compassionate and is trying to do her best. I am also aware that a lot of extra money is going into the system but it is about outcomes, it is not about finance. The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, said that there will be 43 new placements. These 43 placements will go nowhere. They would be absolutely taken up in CHO 7. When I went into the recent CSO data, I saw that 299,000 people identify as unpaid carers. This is an increase of 53% on 2016. I was saddened but I was not surprised. Here we are now with 43 new placements for this year.

The cases I have raised today are very serious but they are not unique. The situation is unsustainable. Parents talk about their fear for the wellbeing of their children and for themselves. There is a lot of pain out there. We must be better. As Family Carers Ireland has said: "Over the years, the number of family carers has increased while the availability and quality of respite care has steadily declined, leaving many in a precarious situation." A precarious situation is exactly where so many people are. They want and deserve better.