Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1480. To ask the Minister for Health if he will include young carers in the National Care Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13747/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ireland’s 2012 National Carers' Strategy is a cross-departmental strategy which sets out government policy for those who care for older people, children and adults with an illness, disability, or mental health condition.

The Strategy contains actions to implement the following national goals:

- Recognise the value and contribution of carers and promote their inclusion in decisions relating to the person they are caring for;

- Support carers to manage their physical, mental, and emotional health and wellbeing;

- Support carers to care with confidence through the provision of adequate information, training, services and supports;

- Empower carers to participate as fully as possible in economic and social life.

The Department of Health coordinates the implementation of the Strategy, while relevant Government Departments are responsible for actions that fall under their remit.

The National Carers' Strategy covers carers of all ages, including young carers. The Strategy acknowledges that while caring has many positive aspects, in some cases it can have adverse impacts on children and young people's social, educational, emotional and health needs, and on their future life opportunities. Objective 2.2 of the National Carers Strategy contains a number of actions to support children and young people with caring responsibilities and protect them from adverse impacts of caring. The actions include awareness raising among statutory agencies and education providers of the needs of young carers and the identification of support services.

The 2020 Programme for Government contains specific commitments in recognition of the contribution of Family Carers to care provision in Ireland. One of these is to develop a ‘Carers Guarantee’ proposal that will provide a core basket of services to carers across the country regardless of where they live.

The Government provided new funding of €2 million in Budget 2021, contributing substantially towards delivering the Carers’ Guarantee by providing a more standard package of supports to family carers in every region, in tandem with the community and voluntary sector. €1.9 million of this funding is being channelled through Family Carers Ireland, while the remaining €100,000 is supporting the delivery of online supports for family carers through Care Alliance Ireland by means of an online support group. Family Carers Ireland's individual and community supports, both online and in person, are not limited to carers of a particular age, and therefore include young carers. The supports provided include peer support, education and training, and counselling.