Sinn Féin spokesperson on Social Protection, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD, and spokesperson on Disability and Carers, Pauline Tully TD, have called on the government to scrap the means test for carers.
Deputies Ó Laoghaire and Tully were speaking as they announced that Sinn Féin would be using its final Dáil motion to highlight this issue, as well as calling for the changes to means test thresholds contained in Budget 2025 to be brought forward to January in line with other social welfare recipients.
Teachta Ó Laoghaire said:
“A Sinn Féin government would abolish the means test for carers.
“Carers and disabled people deserve respect and deserve to be listened to.
“Instead, under Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, so many carers are struggling financially and are receiving payments way below the established minimum essential standard of living.
“The means test excludes thousands of carers, and results in many receiving reduced and inadequate payments.
“I want to be very clear that respect for carers is going to be a very important issue for Sinn Féin in the general election campaign.
“Sinn Féin strongly believes that the crucial and vital role that carers do in supporting their loved ones must be recognised.
“That is why we are very clearly setting out our stall that, in government, Sinn Féin would bring an end to the means test for carers, and that we would deliver this over the course of a term in government.”
Teachta Tully said:
“A further insult to carers is that they are being told to wait until next summer to see any increases in their thresholds, instead of in January as with other social welfare recipients.
“Carers shouldn’t be pushed to the back of the queue. They shouldn’t have to wait six months for modest improvements to the system.
“The changes to carers means test thresholds contained in Budget 2025 must be brought forward to January 2025.
“Carers deserve a government that respects them, and that is why Sinn Féin is committing to abolishing the means test for carers over the course of a term in government.”
