Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to put on the record that I have been a carer for both of my children. I have been a carer for my grandchildren. In fact they play hell with me when I am on my own with them. They stay up late and convince me that I do not have put them to bed early. They do all sorts of things. My two children ring me constantly when they have problems. They do not seem to feel that they have to talk only to their mother when there is a crisis. They talk to me. I collected my children from school and dropped them to school. I was not a great dad when it came to changing nappies and things like that but I learned as time went on so I favour the term "parent" rather than "mother" or "father" when we are talking about things.

I am also mindful of people like Senator Clonan, who is a carer. Many fathers like him with disabled children have to play a full part in caring for their children. I hope Senator Clonan does not mind me saying this but only yesterday, he told me that he did not think he or his wife had ever had a night alone. One of them always had to be there caring all the time. That is what care is about. When you look at what Senator Ruane was talking about, in some communities around the country, Senator Clonan and his wife would be able to get a weekend away because the community would take over. That happens in parts of rural Ireland. It happens all over the place so I favour the amendment that includes community. It is a brilliant amendment and it is sad that we find ourselves up against the clock here and it cannot be taken.

I wish to talk about the word "strive". I accept the Minister's bona fides that when he put in this wording, he meant that the State would do everything in its power to support care. However, let us talk about the other side of striving within the State. Let us talk about Brigid McCole, Vicky Phelan, mother and baby homes and all of the cruel things the heartless State has done and how hard it has striven to drive people who take on the State into the ground. If some poor unfortunate family finds itself in a situation in five or ten years time because of this amendment to the Constitution where it feels it has not been taken care of and the State has not striven to give it the support it needs, it will be driven to hell and back to try to find and prove its case in court. I am shocked that Family Carers Ireland has come out in full support of this - the very people who depend on the State. How many people come in here day in and day out to tell us about their struggles to get supports for their children? Senator Clonan has spoken several times about the children with disabilities who are being refused basic services. Right now this State does not strive and I am not so sure that putting this amendment into the Constitution will change the welfare of those who depend on the State. This is why when I think about the amendment to bring the community in on the care side of things, if a family has an entire community behind it, it is much easier to convince those who hold the purse strings to make sure that family gets the supports it needs.

I am really sorry. I said it to the Minister yesterday and I meant it. Today I am confirming it. While the word "strive" remains in this amendment to the Constitution, I cannot support it and I would ask people not to support it. I have nothing against the Minister and his efforts. I commend him on what he is trying to do. However, the wording is wrong. Regarding those who were supportive of the two changes to the amendment, we just heard Senator Ruane say that she had difficulty with the word "strive" and is struggling to find a way to sell this to her community. The Minister has not met the needs of those who are involved in care all day every day. He has not met the needs of the countless mothers and fathers who are there looking after a disabled child and whose lives have been controlled by virtue of the fact that they have a child they need to care for. I cannot go into details but I have seen cases where an entire family was tied down with the care of children. One family had to have nurses 24 hours per day, seven days per week and 365 days per year in its home. Its sitting room was turned into a hospital ward. Regarding the term "strive", I have seen how this State can strive and how cruel it can be to those who were most in need so I am afraid that with the word "strive", the Minister is not convincing me that we would truly go the extra mile when we need to.