JUNE 2014

FIANNA FIL POSITION PAPER

ON SUPPORTING CARERS
WILLIE ODEA TD
Spokesperson on Social
Protection and Social Equality
Caring
for Carers

Our Position
Fianna Fil introduced the Carers Allowance in
1999 which was granted to all carers providing
full-time care and attention to an older person or
a person with disability, regardless of their means
or social insurance contributions. Our Party
recognises the valued role of carers in our society
and supporting them continues to be a key
priority for us.
Fianna Fil opposed the deeply unfair cuts to
a vital support payment for carers across the
country. The 20% cut of 325 in the respite carer
grant in Budget 2013 hit carers on the frontline
with a measly 26m in savings for the Govern-
ment. Family Carers provide 4 billion worth of
care each year. This Fine Gael/Labour Government
is unfairly penalising the 70,000 carers across the
country that play an integral role in supporting the
vulnerable and ultimately save the state money.
Household Benets Package
This Fine Gael/Labour Government has lleted the
Household Benets Package through year on year
cuts and the abolition of the telephone allowance.
Fianna Fil believes that the provision of a direct
telephone line is essential for emergencies and
to access telecare supports for carers. We believe
this area should be reexamined to ensure that
carers have access to telephone provision no
matter what their means.
CARING FOR CARERS
Fianna Fil Position Paper on Supporting Carers
Habitual Residence
Fianna Fil understands that the requirement of
habitual residence creates a difculty for some
carers who are accessing social welfare benets.
Fianna Fil believes this matter should be
examined further, to ensure that exibility can be
provided on these criteria to carers while still
combatting welfare fraud.
Prescription Charges
In March 2011 the current Minister for Health, Fine
Gaels Dr James Reilly committed to abolishing
prescription charges. At that time, the cost of a
prescription charge was 50c. This Government
broke this promise by not only keeping the
prescription charge but increasing it vefold.
Fianna Fil believes that where a single
prescribed item is required to be dispensed in
diferent strengths and containers that this should
be treated as one item, rather than multiple items
for prescription charge purposes.
Mobility Allowance and
Motorised Transport Grant
The failure of this Fine Gael/Labour Government
to replace the Mobility Allowance or Motorised
Transport Grant speaks volumes and shows how
little they care for the most vulnerable in Irish
society.
Fianna Fil believe that an allowance which
recognises the difculties people with
mobility challenges face should be introduced.
This will give people with disabilities, and their
carers, greater choices and exibility in selecting
the type of transport most appropriate to their
needs.
Housing Adaptation Grant
Scheme
Fianna Fil introduced the Housing Adaptation
Grant Scheme in 2007 in order to allow for the
adaptation of houses for people with a disability
and older people and the carrying out of
necessary repairs and improvements to the
houses of older people.
We believe the Housing Adaptation Grant should
be fully restored to provide a much needed
stimulus for small builders and give apprentices
the opportunity to complete training in various
trades and avoid a skills decit in future years.
The waiting times for this grant are unacceptable
and must also be addressed. We are calling for
the resources collected from the Property Tax to
be used at a local level for schemes such as the
Housing Adaption Grant.
Local Property
Tax and Carers
Fianna Fil commits to ensuring that 80% of the
revenue raised through the Local Property Tax
will be granted to the local authority in which the
property tax is collected. We believe that local
government should benet from local charges
and guarantee the local services for local
communities.
Fianna Fil put forward alternative tax proposals
before Budget 2014 that would still allow Ireland
to reach budgetary targets but without putting
pressure on those who can least aford it.
We are against the doubling of the property
tax.
We will mandate all our council members to
vote for it to be reduced by 15% when this
power is available to them in September 2014.
We will also vote against any increase based
on any new house valuations.
We will ensure that money raised will be
reinvested into local communities.
Water Charges and Carers
Fianna Fil has consistently opposed the
governments Irish Water model which it rammed
through Dil ireann in order to avoid real scrutiny.
The scandalous revelations of the overspend on
consultants and dishonesty of the government on
the set up costs in the Irish Water super quango
has vindicated our concerns. Irish Water strips
away functions from democratically accountable
Local Authorities and places them in a new super
quango created by the government.
Fianna Fil will seek to ensure that supports are
in place for Family Carers with high essential
water needs. We believe that an Ability to Pay
model must be central to any Irish Water charging
scheme.
Home Care on a
Statutory Basis
Fianna Fil has published a bill, that if passed will
place home care services on a statutory basis.
Where appropriate home care provision is
possible, this should be pursued before a nursing
home option is considered. Home care provision
can often have signicant social and cost benets.
Our bill ammends the Nursing Home Support
Scheme Act 2009 to allow an older person who
has been approved under the Fair Deal scheme
to seek an alternative package of home care
supports instead. We believe this bill should have
all party approval.
Community Employment
for Home Care Respite
Fianna Fil believes that the Community
Employment Scheme can help to increase the
amount of respite care that could be provided to
carers. We have written to Minister for Social
Protection Joan Burton TD to Request this.
Willie ODea TD
SPOKESPERSON ON SOCIAL
PROTECTION AND SOCIAL EQUALITY
Dil ireann,
Leinster House,
Kildare Street,
Dublin 2.
Constituency Ofce,
2, Glenview Gardens,
Farranshone,
Limerick
061-454488
v 061-328849
willie.odea@oireachtas.ie
www.willieodea.ie
f
0612