Mattie McGrath: Criticises Budget delay on carers' support

Minister, before I start, I want to declare that I travel to Monaghan a lot too, as you know, in case you pick me up on something. Family Careers Ireland, like that, is the Budget 2024-25, brings some welcome measures to alleviate the pressure carers feel every day, just as an increasing of the annual respite grant to €2,000 per annum, and increasing the disregard to €1,250, which allows more carers to get in there. Board Minister, and you know well yourself, and I'm saying you don't know, but why didn't you do what you said you do, or what people, carers want? Carers are the unsung heroes of our society, yet Budget 2025 leaves them in the shadows. One in eight people in Ireland provide unpaid care, saving the state billions, but where's their support? Waiting until July 2025, you know, there's a snap in the face for them. You give those increases, but they have to wait until nine months, ten months after the Budget. That's, I mean, show the compassion that you need to show. They work to it, but why do you have to wait until next July to get it? Also, as I said, it is time to fully abolish the carers' allowance means test, and we all know that, and that's what they expected, and I welcome the carers here today, and I compliment all the family carers, and especially our councillor, Ritchie Millay in South Tipperary, who is the manager of the South Tipperary carers, and the work that him and his organisation do. As I said, enormous contributions of carers. Over 500,000 individuals in Ireland are family carers, meaning one in eight people provide regular unpaid care. The family carers are the backbone of the care provision, yet they often feel they're not getting the recognition. They're definitely not getting it. As I said, caring intensively over long periods without support or recognition negatively affects carers' physical and mental health, financial status and social integration. Many carers, especially those caring for children with additional needs, face long-term implications for their health, well-being and financial security. And while I'm at it, Minister, the situation where child carers, and there are many, many, many children who should be in school or amassed in spare and playing matches or whatever, are caring for loved ones as well. Children, and that's a crime shame in our country. As I said, carers are predominantly women, with those in their 50s most likely to be providing care. 57% of carers, as per census 2022, juggle work with caring responsibilities, and that's not easy, as you know. The growing number of carers, the number of carers increased by over 50% between 2016 and 2022, and they're expected to continue rising due to population ageing and more people living with life-limiting conditions. And also the fact that hospitals, and Minister Butler, beside you, closed a lovely hospital in Cádiz and Cádiz and Cádiz, respite beds are not available in any case. And she can whistle what she liked to. She took the beds away, respite beds, and pallet of care beds provided by the community there. And the economic value of carers, as Deputy Ruffey said, the Family Carers Ireland, a national charity, estimate that £10 billion a year is the value of what the carers do. And that is an enormous sum. Thank you. Time is up. Minister, please. Thank you. Thank you, Deputy McGrath. And indeed, I know you're very familiar with Monaghan, because you're very lucky to get your wife there now. And she's a great woman. And she's from a great family. So, and I know there's a lot of interest in my county, but I can tell you one thing, there's nobody knows more about Monaghan than I do. And that's it, as far as I'm concerned. I was born and reared there all my life. I'm living there. Now, we'll move on. Just the issue around St. Bridget's. I believe it was due to, after a HICWA inspection, that the hospital was closed. But I believe it's now been repurposed, and it's going to be reopened, and 28 people working there. Anyway, I'll move on to the question you asked me, Deputy. I know, can I just say, I do absolutely know the important role that family carers play. And I am fully supported to committing, or supported, or fully committed to supporting carers in that role. I meet them regularly in my department, including at the annual carers forum. I have heard firsthand, over many years, about the wonderful work that they do under extremely difficult circumstances. And indeed, probably the most difficult is where you see mothers with children who have disabilities. It is not easy, and we all acknowledge the work that they do. And at the end of August, there were 97,407 recipients of carers allowance, with recipient numbers increasing every year. The estimated cost of this scheme this year is expected to be over 1.1 billion euro. However, I do acknowledge that no amount of money could reflect the value of care given to children or family members with profound care needs. I was the first minister to increase the carers' disregard in 14 years. Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have nearly doubled the income disregard for carers' allowance, from €332.50 to €625 for a single carer, and from €665 to €1,250 for a carer who is part of a couple. At the request of carers and their representative organisations, I also increased the capital disregard. A carer with a spouse or partner can now have capital up to €100,000 before it affects their payment. From July next year, if a carer is one of a couple, they can have household earnings of €65,789 and receive a full payment, earnings of €79,309 per annum and receive a payment equivalent to a half rate, and earnings of up to €91,269 and receive the minimum payment along with the secondary benefits. It has been increased considerably. As I said previously, we have come a long way, but there is absolutely more to do. That is why I have set up an interdepartmental working group to look at the issue. Mr McGrath? Mr McGrath, there is an example that carers have to wait until next July, six months after everybody else to get their increases. We cannot be patronising and talking about what they do. They need the money now, not next July or August. As I said, fully abolishing the carers' allowance means test is recommended by resets from the National University of Ireland and Maynute. That is crucial. Once our payments are insufficient to make lasting changes and are needed to make a real difference for carers. The means test is the problem. A change of government may be necessary now to see that happen. I believe it will. Minister, during COVID, the government said that €350 a week was the minimum a person would need to survive. €350 a week. And yet, even with the increase in carers' allowance, the carers will only get €260 a week. So, you cannot have your cake and eat it. I mean, in COVID, you said it was €350 a minimum, now the carers are expected to live on €260. So, that's the situation. So, the means test and the fact that you're paying lip service and you said that yourself and the way that you literally misused the carers in your bust, wasteful referendums threatening them if they didn't go out and lobby for it, their money might be caught in inverted commas, not definite. And also, St. Prince's Hospital in Carrague will not open as a hospital ever again, thanks to Minister Butler and Minister Donnelly. Never again open as a hospital with respite beds which are so badly needed and also with three palliative care beds that were funded by the community there and the money hasn't been paid back to the community. I believe St. Bridges will open as a community healthcare network and there will be 28 people working there so there will be a lot of services provided. Anyway, I'll go back to what I'm supposed to be answering here. The carers, just to give you an example, a mother has two children aged 13 and 8 and she's a carer for one of her children. She currently receives carers allowance with increases for her children which totaled €348 per week. I don't know that's an example, that's a real example. Her weekly child support payment has increased by €8 for her older child and €4 for her younger child as a result of this budget. And the total benefits to this mother post-budget 2025 will be an annual increase of €2,906. So this budget has improved the situation for carers. And as I said, income limits were increased in July of this year. That's only three months ago since they were already increased. And this is already having a positive impact. There is a process we have to go through. The department will engage with carers regarding the increased limits that I have now announced. And that work starts now. And just to tell you, Deputy, over 90% of carers are already on the maximum rate of carers allowance. And, you know, I cannot pay carers for the work that they do. And that's why I've set up a working group to look at all of these issues and they're going to be reporting back before the end of the year. Because this is something we do want to deal with.