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Tuesday 26 September 2023 Dublin: 14°C

# Carers

This year
2023
Carers to have national living wage guaranteed for first time alongside pay for travel time
Minister Donnelly said the new higher rate will help maintain service delivery and reduce waiting times for home support.
Opinion: Many carers feel isolated with no confidence after being out of paid work for so long
Caroline Lawless shares her experience of life as a carer and says more supports are needed for those returning to paid work.
Calls for national audit on respite places as Census shows marked increase in unpaid carers
Census 2022 figures published this week show that over 299,000 people identify as unpaid carers.
Rate of pay for domestic violence leave should be worked out by end of summer, says minister
Work Life Balance Bill – which includes paid leave for domestic violence victims – has been passed.
Last year
2022
Opinion: As a carer, I have met the best of people in colleagues and clients
This year’s Carer of the Year Breda Pagett outlines the joys and the challenges of the job.
Employment permits for 1,000 home care workers to be made available to tackle recruitment crisis
The move was recommended in a report by the strategic workforce advisory group on home carers and nursing home healthcare assistants.
Opinion: Care and community workers fill the gaps left by the State - they need a pay rise
We need to improve working conditions and pay for carers and community workers, writes Labour’s Duncan Smith.
'I don't know where to turn': Family carers call for reinstatement of funding for ceiling hoists
Guidance issued to local authorities in 2020 stated that ceiling hoists should not be included in the adaptation grant scheme.
The government has said discussions on the issue are ongoing but has provided no timeline for a solution, Michelle Hennessy reports.
One family told The Journal that they feel like they are being "fobbed off" about vital equipment for their six-year-old daughter.
'At this stage, it is a crisis': Children still left waiting for public disability services
None of the 91 community teams for children with disabilities are fully staffed
Carer told to repay social welfare payment after teen son's death calls for system reform
The proposal would prevent family carers from being immediately cut off from supports if a disabled child dies at age 16 or older.
A carer is calling on the government to close a gap in the social welfare system upon the death of a disabled child aged 16 or over.
Tracy McGinnis lost her son Brendan Bjorn, aged 17, last month, and was ordered to refund a social welfare payment.
Care Alliance Ireland said carers who lose a child go through a "really difficult transition period", Lauren Boland reports.
All time
In the Covid era, 'solidarity means standing shoulder to shoulder with poorer nations', says President Higgins
In a video address, he called for carers to be recognised as essential in the post-pandemic world.
Maeve Higgins: The State cannot say it values migrant workers while it pushes them out the door
Maeve Higgins says Ireland’s home care assistants and other migrant workers perform a vital service and should be given proper immigration status.
Ireland to get first 35,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine next week
Stephen Donnelly said that 1.1 million doses of Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines are to be delivered by the end of March.
‘It's dangerous’: How Ireland is behind the curve on home care regulation
Part three of Noteworthy’s investigation reveals no legal requirements for training or registration in carer sector.
'It's demoralising and makes me want to leave': How poor pay is impacting home carers in this 'lucrative' sector
Part two of Noteworthy’s investigation examines pay and conditions of these frontline workers, as well as profits made by providers.
'I am struggling': How home carers became the forgotten frontline workers of the pandemic
Part one of Noteworthy’s in-depth investigation shows that many carers took a pay hit and felt unsupported during the Covid-19 crisis.
'No plan' for carers or those who need care when they get tested for Covid-19
“If I could do this alone I would, it would be better than dealing with the system,” one family carer said.
Calls for individual case assessments after woman (71) caring for her mother (98) left without home care
Hundreds of home care providers are to be redeployed temporarily to nursing homes and residential care facilities.
'I'm on call 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week': Family carers stage protest outside the Dáil
Several carers spoke today about the huge amount of work they do looking after loved ones.
'They've been ignored by this government': Budget disappointment prompts carers to protest outside Dáil
Carers say the government has “given it with one hand and taken it back with the other” with its latest budget.
Opinion: The health service will collapse if the exploitation of Ireland's carers isn't addressed
Carers bear a huge burden but are not being looked after.
Home help care supports: How many people are waiting in your county?
A total of 6,819 people are waiting for funding for home help hours, but the HSE continues to deny any cuts to the service.
Ireland has third highest weekly hours of 'unpaid work' across EU
A new report found Irish adults spend an average of 16 hours per week caring and 14.5 hours on housework.
Concerns raised at Dublin hospital over suicidal man's attempt to take own life
Hospital workers acted to save the man’s life after discovering him in a staff pantry engaging in self-harm.
29% of those who care for a loved one with cancer do so for at least 39 hours a week
More than 2,000 people a year across Ireland are diagnosed with a form of blood cancer.
'It's one less thing to worry about': HSE grants free GP service to 14,000 carers
The service applies to anyone who received carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit, but who do not hold a medical card.
Citizens' Assembly to consider care issue in a bid to prevent referendum delay
Minister Flanagan sent a letter regarding the referendum on the women’s place in the home to Justice Committee members this week.
'It's physically and mentally exhausting. I can't be off guard': The life of a single parent carer
Next week is National Carers Week, highlighting the experiences of thousands of family carers across Ireland that look their loved ones.
Government approves plans to give 14,000 carers free GP cards
Health Minister Simon Harris said that he knew of the difficulties faced by carers in Ireland.
'Deeply concerning': Foster services criticised over lack of garda vetting and shortfall in carers
The Health Information and Quality Authority released three inspection reports of foster care services in Ireland.
36 hours alone in a bed without so much as a hot drink: lessons to be learned from Storm Emma
The emergency effort co-ordinated by the NECC was impressive, writes Tom Clonan, but there is still a learning curve in reaching out to all vulnerable people.
Thousands of carers didn't receive their weekly payment today
The Department of Social Protection said carers who need financial assistance should contact their local Intreo centre.
Carers will be able to visit a GP for free from next year
Additional funding was announced which will allow all carer’s in receipt of Carer’s Allowance to qualify for a GP Visit Card.
'I love her too much to put her in a home': Calls for support after RTÉ doc on the struggles of carers
Almost 200,000 people dedicate their lives caring for loved ones in Ireland.
HSE boss says care agency that looked after 'Grace' was not treated unfairly
Tony O’Brien was told by one committee member that he is pre-empting the work of the inquiry.
There are 79 unemployment blackspots in Ireland, with Limerick worst affected
Meanwhile, the number of women looking after the home or family has continued to decline.
Column: 'I imagine guilt is a friend of every carer on this island'
My boys will not have “typical” childhood but they will have very special memories, writes carer Geraldine Renton.
'My greatest fear is she will outlive me': Elderly carers in Ireland struggle for help
The 2011 Census found that 24,746 carers in Ireland are over the age of 65.
These wonderful teenagers were honoured today at the Irish Carers of the Year Awards
Carers were described as Ireland’s “forgotten workforce”.
'Utterly appalling': Anger expressed at waiting times for carer's allowance claims
More than 4,000 people are waiting for their applications to be processed, with an average wait time of 14 weeks.
Parents fear son will miss hospital appointments as they can't afford to replace van
Margaret Butler and Michael Power have called for more financial support to be given to carers.