Thomas Pringle TD has today slammed the government on its refusal to reverse the cut to the Respite Care Grant following the defeat of the Carers’ Motion in the Dáil.
The Private Members’ Motion which was last night defeated in the Dáil called on the government to reverse the cut to the Respite Care Grant also included calls to introduce induction training for carers as well as to provide free general practitioner care to full-time family carers in recognition of the service they provide at considerable savings to the State.
“Carers save this State €4 billion annually and the expenditure of €771 million in supports pales into insignificance against this saving. While it has been widely stated in the Dáil the contribution that carers make for State they unfortunately still see it fit to cut the funds that these people rely on so heavily.
“This motion provided for the provision of supports in terms of income and other measures that would recognise carers and show clearly that we as a State and society value them and the work that they do.
“Minister Burton has stated that this grant is higher now than it was in 2002 but this is ten years on and carers should be able to expect that the grant would recognise the increased costs that they face and the fact that the grant goes to providing much needed resources for their loved one.
“It is telling that only 5,000 of the 76,000 people in receipt of the grant are not receiving another carer’s payment which shows that the grant is an income support and should not have been cut in such a callous way.
“It’s unsurprising that the government would be cynical enough to oppose an opposition motion, but if they were thinking about the welfare of carers they would never have voted in favour of this cut in the first place,” stated Pringle.
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