Richard O'Donoghue: Calls to Abolish Means Test for Carers
Richard O'Donoghue spoke about carers and the health service, urging the abolition of the means test that he says penalises people who care for others. He recounted a case of a man called John with stage 4 cancer whose care was disrupted by bureaucratic rules between Cork and Limerick nursing homes.
Richard O'Donoghue argued that the means test for anyone caring for somebody should be abolished, saying carers are being penalised for doing the work of care. He contrasted unpaid carers with parts of the public health sector, suggesting carers receive little reward despite their vital role.
He described the case of John, a stage 4 cancer patient who was brought to a nursing home in County Cork and who died yesterday. According to the account, medication was not forwarded and the Cork HSE sector said it could not act because John was a Limerick man in a Cork nursing home, so he had to be moved to a Limerick nursing home.
Richard O'Donoghue criticised what he called "bureaucratic bull" put in place by this government, the higher legal sectors and the health service, saying those rules stopped the man from dying with dignity. He reported that the family were pleading and crying on the phone, seeking help that did not arrive in time.
He urged decision-makers to think of carers and the vulnerable next time bureaucratic rules are introduced, stressing that carers watch over the next generation and deserve recognition rather than further penalties. The remarks called for practical changes to remove barriers that prevent dignified care.
Main demand
Richard O'Donoghue argued that the means test for anyone caring for somebody should be abolished, saying carers are being penalised for doing the work of care. He contrasted unpaid carers with parts of the public health sector, suggesting carers receive little reward despite their vital role.
Case recounted
He described the case of John, a stage 4 cancer patient who was brought to a nursing home in County Cork and who died yesterday. According to the account, medication was not forwarded and the Cork HSE sector said it could not act because John was a Limerick man in a Cork nursing home, so he had to be moved to a Limerick nursing home.
Criticism of bureaucracy and consequences
Richard O'Donoghue criticised what he called "bureaucratic bull" put in place by this government, the higher legal sectors and the health service, saying those rules stopped the man from dying with dignity. He reported that the family were pleading and crying on the phone, seeking help that did not arrive in time.
Appeal to policymakers
He urged decision-makers to think of carers and the vulnerable next time bureaucratic rules are introduced, stressing that carers watch over the next generation and deserve recognition rather than further penalties. The remarks called for practical changes to remove barriers that prevent dignified care.
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Transcript
The word carers, you look up in the gallery and we have the next generation of people, we are their carers, but yet the vulnerable people in this country, we are penalising them for caring for people. They have been penalised. The means test for anyone that is caring for somebody is something that should be abolished. It is caring, that is what they are doing, and if you took the same amount of figures and put it off of people that are actually within the public health sector, which at the very top levels of it, that get paid for caring and don't care, then you realise how much these people do and don't get any reward if actually they do without to care for other people. That is the problem. I have to bring up this today, and it is a small bit off track, but it is to do with health. There is a man called John, and I won't mention he is sick of him, God rest him, has died yesterday. He was brought to a nursing home in County Cork and stage 4 cancer. His sister rang me pleading and crying down the phone, can I help John? He was after being brought to a nursing home with stage 4 cancer to be cared for, and there was no medication forwarded. They contacted the Cork HSE sector, which asked to say that sorry, we cannot do that for John, because he is a limerick man in a Cork nursing home. So we then had to get John removed from the Cork nursing home to a limerick nursing home, because the limerick people couldn't go to Cork, because he was in a Cork nursing home being a limerick person. This is the type of bureaucratic bull that has been put in place for caring for people. This man passed away yesterday, and all he wanted was dignity. He wanted to know what was happening, when would it happen. He knew he was going to die, but he wanted to die with dignity. And all the bureaucratic bull that has been put in place by this government and the higher legal sectors and the health service are what stopped this man having died with dignity, and having his family crying on the phone to know how can we help. And then you come along about the carers in this country. The carers are the watch over this area, they care for all of us. So please think of that the next time that you put more bureaucratic bull in front of people that are caring for people. Thank you.