Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilín has called on the Health Minister Robin Swann to increase the mileage allowance for community carers in light of the surging cost of petrol and diesel. 

The North Belfast MLA said: 

“The Health Minister needs to urgently increase the mileage allowance for our hard-pressed care workers who are struggling with the price of petrol and diesel which is now over £1.90 in some areas.  

“Our care workers travel regularly to treat the most elderly and vulnerable in our communities, these workers deserve much more than the current allowance which is well below the price of fuel and which is leaving them out of pocket. 

“I and my Sinn Féin colleagues have been calling on the Health Minister to increase the allowance for months, in a recent response the Minister is still ‘considering options’. More has to be done for our care workers who are considering whether they will be able to afford to go to work. 

“Scotland and Wales have already increased fuel allowances for their workers.

“Sinn Féin will continue to press the Health Minister to increase these fuel allowances so that workers can be fairly reimbursed for the fuel they use to do their job.”