CARERS AND their representatives have condemned the Government’s decision to scrap plans for a national strategy aimed at improving services and supports for tens of thousands of carers in the home.
Following a meeting with carers yesterday, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin said the economic downturn meant it would be difficult for the Government to commit to any advances in services for carers. The pledge to publish a national carers’ strategy formed a key part of the social provisions contained in the programme for government and the national partnership agreement.
Carers groups and Opposition parties accused the Government of trying to “bury bad news” by announcing the decision on the same day as some of the worst exchequer returns in decades .
“This is a real slap in the face for thousands of carers,” said Enda Egan of the Carers’ Association. “We’re devastated. It sends out a message from the Government that it will accept all the free care offered by carers, but isn’t prepared to support them.”
There are an estimated 160,000 carers across Ireland, reckoned to save the State some €2.1 billion per annum. However, less than 30,000 qualify for the carers’ allowance.
Mr Egan called on the Minister to publish parts of the strategy which do not involve State funding, to at least establish the precedent of having a blueprint to improve services for carers.
“We’ve missed an historic opportunity. Now, it seems this strategy may never see the light of day,” Mr Egan added.
Ms Hanafin insisted the decision in no way diminished the value of carers across society. “The Government is acutely aware of the sacrifices made by many people who care for a loved one and has sought to make many improvements in services and supports for carers,” she said.
“Over the past decade, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer’s allowance have significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer’s benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended.”
But the decision drew sharp criticism from Fine Gael’s social affairs spokeswoman Olwyn Enright, who described it as an act of betrayal after years of promises. “Just as bad is her decision to time the announcement with the release of some of the worst exchequer figures ever seen in Ireland. This is a clear attempt by the Minister to bury the news,” she said.
“More than 161,000 carers across Ireland had pinned their hopes on the promise to set up a national carers’ strategy, as set out in the programme for government, and supposed to be up and running by the end of 2007. The Government failed to meet this target in 2007 and is now hiding behind the current economic situation.” She added: “This decision is a direct result of the economic crisis into which the Fianna Fáil Government has plunged the entire country. It is a shameless decision. But not anywhere near as shameless as Minister Hanafin’s deliberate attempt to bury the news.”
The carers’ strategy was aimed at setting out the Governments vision for family and informal carers, and establishing a set of goals in areas such as income support, healthcare and services, housing, transport and information services.
Ms Hanafin said that, from the outset, the Government made a commitment to carers’ groups that the strategy would not be just a “paper exercise”.
“The economic situation we are all facing makes it difficult to commit to major advances in services for carers. I appreciate that it will be disappointing for carers and the people for whom they care that we are unable to publish a strategy,” she said.
