The Carers' Association has appealed to people who care for family members to join them in lobbying the Government for a reversal in cuts to the carer’s allowance.
The organisation initiated its "One Voice" campaign today in the wake of an RTÉ Primetime investigation which highlighted the plight of carers and their families this week.
The association has also urged the Government to complete and implement the National Carers' Strategy.
"Carers are like an unseen army on the ground. They're at home, behind closed doors, providing care every day," said Catherine Cox, communications manager with the association. "Up to now there has been very little recognition and very little value placed on that care. And until carers are seen as an integral part of our health system, they will never get the value and recognition they need.
"So we're calling on people to join the campaign, to join carers in lobbying for a better life for family carers. And we're hoping that together we form a much stronger voice and we will get to see real social justice and real change for family carers."
There are more than 161,000 family carers in the Republic, a figure expected to substantially increase in the future, according to Ms Cox. She said many family carers were living on the breadline, in very difficult circumstances "made much worse" by State cuts.
"Many of you will have seen the recent Primetime special which highlighted the plights of family carers all over the country and the challenges and struggles they face every day in terms of lack of support and lack of services," she said.
"And while what we saw in the footage was shocking, what's perhaps more shocking is that there are similar stories all around the country. We have carers coming into the association's resource centres literally very day saying the same thing," she said.
Pat Kelly, who cared for his severely disabled parents for 24 years, appealed to the Government to publish the National Carers Strategy.
"The previous government sat on their ass for nearly four years with the strategy and they refused to publish it. I'm appealing now to the present Government to publish it, to let us know what's in it and see whether there is anything in it that we can use to our advantage. It may not cost anything," he said.
Visibly upset, Mr Kelly said years of caring had taken a toll on his emotional and physical health to the point where he once considered taking his own life. "Carers suffer major health problems. We don't look after ourselves. We care for our loved ones and do so to the detriment of our own health," he said.
Susan Byrne, who cares for her two daughters who have special needs, said the Government simply didn't recognise carers.
"The Carers Association are my voice. They speak to the government on my behalf pushing for more social policies to make my life and the lives of thousands of other carers more bearable," she said.
To join the campaign see carersireland.com