SHOW REAL COMPASSION TO FAMILY CARERS;GET RID OF MEANS TEST AND GIVEN THEM MORE RESPITE - Cllr Emer Tóibín, Meath East
Given that family carers save the state some €20 Billion a year, Aontú Cllr Emer Tóibín, a candidate in Meath East for this Friday’s General Election, says that her party is advocating for more regulated and public home care hours to be provided by the State.
Cllr Tóibín says
“Aontú has brought two motions to the Dail in the past year alone seeking the abolition of the means test for the carers allowance”.
“We were the only party in the Dáil to advocate for a No vote in the recent Care Referendum in which the government and main opposition parties sought to eviscerate carers rights by reducing their constitutional grounds for seeking economic support from the State”.
“Over half a million people in Ireland provide unpaid care for family members or loved ones”. “Those who provide care within the home are truly unsung champions who should be paid for the work they do and should not be penalised based on their spouse’s income”.
“Aontú is fighting for better access for respite services and increased weeks of respite for those in receipt of round the clock care ,to help alleviate the pressures on family carers”.
“The outgoing Government gave a lot of lip service to ‘equality’ and compassion, but it is neither equal nor compassion to deny family carers their absolute rights when it comes to pay, nor to try and cynically strip them of the rights they do have”.
“However, in the light of Simon’s Harris appalling disrespectful treatment and dismissal of the lady who tried to bring his attention to the plight of carers we should not be surprised”.
