Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue matter this evening. I start by acknowledging the role that family carers play, firstly in society, in keeping people in their own home, where the vast majority want to be kept, and secondly in the economy, to which they contribute €20 billion per annum.

The State of Caring 2024 report was based on a survey of 2,127 carers. These are people who are providing full-time care, often for more than 90 hours per week, for children, adults with additional needs and older people. The survey, therefore, covered all types of carers. Despite the many positive investments that have been made over the years, the report was very worrying. It found that 72% of respondents said they had never been offered respite; 49% are paying privately for services the HSE should be providing, such as occupational therapy, OT, physiotherapy and assessments of needs for children with disabilities; 29% cut basic essentials, such as food and heat, because they do not have the necessary funds to pay for them; and 76% are moderately or severely lonely.

Not all of this is the Minister of State's responsibility and it cuts across many Departments. One area that is the Minister of State's responsibility is that of respite. It is an area I have raised many times with her in the past. The Muíriosa Foundation in Mullingar is still not providing respite and not using a community house on certain weekends of the year. I know the Minister of State made an intervention previously that improved the situation, but there is still uncertainty.

Last year, a family in my constituency was offered 14 days of summer cover in a house for day-time respite. This year, they were offered only seven days. I brought the case to the attention of the Minister of State's office earlier this week. Family Carers Ireland is suggesting, and I agree with it, that we need a national audit of our respite beds and a national register in order that people can plan for when they are getting respite. They need to know when they are getting respite, they need to be able to plan and they need certainty in their lives.

On the issue of pay, carers are the only welfare recipients who actually work for their payment. I did not realise until a couple weeks ago that a carer living alone does not qualify for the living alone allowance or fuel allowance. People who have been on employment benefit for in excess of 12 months qualify for the fuel allowance. That anomaly needs to be addressed. Given the money carers are saving the State, the Government should abolish means testing.

On housing adaptation, the level of grants has not kept pace with the cost of construction. The income threshold needs to be reviewed. It is based on the last full year of income. What if someone suddenly gets sick and their previously good income changes to a social welfare payment? That is not taken into consideration and it needs to change.

The reason I raise this matter is that it was published and received considerable media coverage today. It is also an issue I picked up very frequently as I canvassed with local election candidates in recent weeks. There are people who are not getting the necessary supports. Others are extremely lonely in their homes. The Government needs set up some sort of task force to ensure a whole-of-government approach is taken to respond to what has been identified in this report.

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