Carers across the State may be forced to leave those they care for at hospital A&E departments if the “cruel” cut to the Respite Care Grant is not reversed, protesters outside Leinster House warned today.
About 200 carers and their charges demonstrated against the 19 per cent cut to the grant announced in last week’s Budget.
The Carers Association which called the protest, said there had to be other sources from which Government could make the savings achieved through the reduction from €1,700 per year to €1,350, of the grant.
Association spokeswoman Catherine Cox said it had to be reversed, that it was “inhumane” and “cruel”.
The number of people at the protest, she said, was far smaller than the level of anger “because almost everyone who wants to be here can’t be. They’re all at home caring”.
“I have never seen a reaction like this from our members. People are hurt, and fearful. Some are so angry that they talk of having to leave a loved one at A&E to have their point heard and understood.
“Ireland’s 187,112 family carers now save the Government €11 million per day by providing 900,000 hours of family care, and annual saving of €4 billion. Census 2011 found that 21 per cent of carers provide over 43 hours of care per week.”
She said it was “simply not true” that the grant was not part of a carer's core income. She said many needed it to pay for heating and food and some were able to use it to pay for respite hours.
Among those at yesterday’s protest were Senator Mary White (Fianna Fáil) who said it was a cut “that just has to be reversed”.
“This cut will cause untold hardship for so many carers and is an insult to them,” she said.
Clare Daly TD (Independent) said it was “shocking” that carers had been targeted for the cut.
Among those also there were TDs Luke Flanagan, Mick Wallace, Shane Ross and Maureen O’Sullivan (Independent), Joan Collins and Richard Boyd Barrett (People Before Profit), Pearse Doherty and Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Sinn Féin) and Willie O’Dea (Fianna Fáil).
Ms Cox said the association was calling on the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to think again and to reverse this cut “which will damage the lives of family carers far more than they can have realised”.
