Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State at the Department of Health is very welcome, as ever. Just before he came in we decided to switch the order of Commencement matters 1 and 2. I propose that we take Senator Boyhan's Commencement matter first because some of our Senators are having trouble getting here. Is that all right with the Minister of State?

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I did expect the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to attend but I know she is busy and there is a Cabinet meeting. One of the reasons I want to single her out is that I want to acknowledge her. I know that she is not here but I want to put on the public record her outstanding service and her Department. I can honestly tell Members that of all of my time in my three years here there is no Minister who has followed up diligently on every piece of correspondence or representation that I have made and I have personally received a response from her. Not only have I had a response but it has been personally signed off by her. Her attention to detail is extraordinary, which is worth putting on the record of the House. In many ways that goes back to the team she leads. I do not know if she is a hard taskmaster, but she is a good one. From my knowledge, from feedback from the Minister, her staff and her officials and from the many representations that I make on behalf of city and county councillors across this country, I have found her to be excellent. I wanted to say that to her today but she is not here, so perhaps the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, might convey that to her. I genuinely believe that we should acknowledge people who excel in their work in public service, and she does.

I thank the Department, in particular for the level of public engagement. I am mindful of the social welfare Christmas and new year payments as well as publications. It is constant and it is important to acknowledge the quality of the work and the information that goes out. This was in our paper today. I want to thank the Minister in the Minister of State's Department for the increase in the number of carers who will have the opportunity to train from 1 January 2020. It is a few additional hours. It is not a lot but it is going in the right direction. I understand that there are always demands on public finances, public funds and public support.

I raise the issue of carers in crisis - the carers in our community. They are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and loved ones who support close family members with a disability in the homeplace or in the community or elderly parents and friends. The Minister of State has spoken time and again in this House about the importance of keeping people in their homes and in their communities, where practical and possible. What better place, what nicer place and what more comfortable place to be supported when one is ill, has a disability or in need of support than in one's community. I hope that focus is not lost. I accept that funding is always a difficulty, but the priority has to be on how we can put and increase resources in homes and in our communities to support vulnerable people.

The real purpose of raising this today was to thank the Minister, Deputy Doherty, on doing a difficult job well but, more importantly, to ask her to keep the focus on what she intends to do to increase support. I do not necessarily expect the Minister of State to read the reply into the record but I would be very happy if he passed on this message.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I call the Minister of State, Deputy Daly.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank Senator Boyhan for raising the matter. Family carers play a crucial role in the provision of care at home to elderly, disabled, and ill loved ones. The Government is committed to support carers in their caring role, and alleviate the financial burden of caring through a range of healthcare and income supports. The National Carers' Strategy represents a whole-of-Government response to the challenges faced by family carers, and sets out the strategic direction for future policies, services, and supports provided by Government Departments and agencies for carers. The strategy is designed around a core vision which recognises and respects carers as key care partners who are supported to maintain their own health and well-being, care with confidence, and empowered to participate as fully as possible in economic and social life.

The Government has increased expenditure on carers allowance, carers benefit, carers support grant, and all ancillary care allowances by 20% since 2016. These payments offer an important source of income support for those caring for a family member due to old age or disability. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection expects that spending on these payments in 2019 will amount to more than €1.2 billion.

In budget 2020 an increase in homecare credit was announced, raising the credit from €100 to €1,600. In addition, the number of hours that carers can work or study outside the home is being increased from 15 hours to 18.5 hours per week with effect from January 2020. More than 1,200 carers are expected to benefit from this change at a cost of €11.6 million.

Identifying carers and their needs as early as possible is of critical importance if they are to be supported in their caring role. The Department of Health has secured funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund for a pilot of the carers needs assessment tool, which will be progressed next year. The tool will be a key step in helping to identify carers at all stages and will also play a role in identifying the supports required. Funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund has also been secured for information and training support for family carers, which assists carers to provide the best care possible to the care recipient, reduce the risk of injury to the carer and care recipient, and help family carers cope with the emotional and psychological aspects of their role. Funding has also been made available to provide for the dissemination of resource information for family carers, the development of support networks, and support groups to assist with the transition back into social and economic life at the end of the caring role and measures that assist in promoting carer self-identification.

Supports for the cared-for person are also vital in many ways. The needs of the carer are interlinked with the cared-for person. Budget 2020 allocated additional funding for disability services, including supports for school leavers, autism services, emergency residency protocols and respite. The total disability service budget will exceed €2 billion in 2020.The Department of Health has committed to an additional investment of €52 million in budget 2020 for older persons to bring the total funding for home supports to €487 million, providing 777,000 more home support hours than the 2019 target.

The increased investment in the benefits and supports for family carers I have outlined reflect the Government's serious commitment to looking after people who spend their time caring for others and maintaining the level of supports available.

I assure the Senator that I will do justice to his sincere and genuine comments by conveying them back to the Minister. I know she will appreciate them. I agree with the Senator; any positive examples of good practice should always be acknowledged, highlighted and recognised as such as a reminder to everybody else.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister and it would be remiss of me not to thank the Minister of State as well. He constantly comes before this House to address the issue. It is not easy to be here all the time, but if we were to carry out an assessment, perhaps he would be the Minister in here most often. I thank him and wish him well.