Carers’ Strategy Scrapped

Sinéad Burke has called on the Government to reverse their decision not to publish the long-promised National Carers’ Strategy. She described the decision as appalling and said it would have a direct impact on thousands of people across East Meath.

She said, “Across East Meath dedicated people are looking after family members in the home with inadequate support from the State. A continued lack of adequate support will lead to worsening health for both carers and cared-for, resulting in much greater healthcare costs to the State.

“The Government should now heed the call of carers’ organisations, publish the Strategy, assess what pay elements are feasible and proceed with all non-pay elements. The Taoiseach is urging people to unite in support of economic recovery and to make collective efforts in the national interest, yet they deliver this insult to thousands of family carers in Meath whose work in the home saves the State hundreds of millions every year.
“This appalling decision shows that the Fianna Fáil-Green Government has no concept of planning for peoples needs. They see the Strategy only in terms of euro and cents and have decided to scrap it. They forget that this Strategy will still be needed – in fact needed more than ever because of our ageing population – when the public finances eventually recover. This decision is in direct breach of the Towards 2016 partnership agreement and reneges on the commitment in the Programme for Government to ‘ensure a National Carers’ Strategy focusing on supporting informal family carers in the community will be developed by the end of 2007’.