Independent TD Mattie McGrath has expressed his deep admiration and respect for the over 7000 Carers who provide regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problem or disability in Co. Tipperary. Deputy McGrath was speaking at the start of National Carers Week, which runs until June 17th:
“If we remember that the Carers in our county provide a staggering 256,120 hours of care per week, we will have a very clear sense of the daily heroism that these people perform in what are very often extremely challenging circumstances.
This breaks down to an average of 42.1 hours per carer per week:
I want to commend and salute people like Cllr Richie Molloy and all the team at Family Carers Ireland for the advocacy work they perform not just this week, but every week of the year.
I will also be taking the opportunity this week to engage again with the Taoiseach and the various government ministers about the ways in which we can increase and strengthen supports for our Carers.
I will also be asking the Minister for Social Protection and indeed the Minister for Health just what they intend to do to address the stark fact that there are at least 138 carers aged under 15 years in Co. Tipperary alone. This is a situation that demands immediate examination.
When you have a sector of our society providing over a quarter of a million of hours of care every week then it is very clear that the work they are doing is of fundamental importance.
That must be reflected in the governments approach to Carers and their families,” concluded Deputy McGrath.
