Holly Cairns
Cork South-West · Social Democrats · Ireland
“At the end of the day, there are a few things that we know and a few things that we do not know. We know the commission of investigation found that it is highly likely there are babies buried on the grounds. We do not know why it made that recommendation. Why? Because the archives are sealed.”
“He now seems to be using that as an excuse for inaction, when what he should be doing is moving heaven and earth to find these children and 19 women who disappeared. Two weeks ago, the Taoiseach told me that Cork City Council should have placed a compulsory purchase order on the land.”
“It knows the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes said it was highly likely that burials had taken place on this land. It has all the evidence of abuse, suspicious deaths, disappeared women and children and likely burial, and the Taoiseach is telling us he is powerless to act because legislation his previous Government d…”
“I want to take up where we left off yesterday. When explaining why the Government was not going to buy Bessborough the Taoiseach said: Excavation without evidence of location is neither feasible nor lawful [because] Under the Institutional Burials Act 2022, the Government can only [start an excavation] where it is satisfied that burials h…”
“The decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála to grant planning permission for apartments at Bessborough is disgusting. This represents yet another failure, a betrayal by the State of the thousands of women and children who were incarcerated and abused there and of the 859 children and 19 women who remain unaccounted for and are presumed dead.”
“I take it from the Taoiseach's reply and his talk about respecting An Bord Pleanála's decision that the answer is that the Government will not be issuing a CPO for the land. The Taoiseach may correct me if I am wrong because I hope the Government is going to make moves to compulsorily purchase the land.”
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“I join the other Deputies. It is ridiculous that the Government would rip up the Dáil schedule, as it did last night, and not come in here to urgently enact the occupied territories Bill or address the shortcomings in disability services or treatment for children with scoliosis and spina bifida, but to have a backslapping exercise and put down a motion of confidence in themselves.”
“The strength of feeling out there is extremely strong and the public deserves to know where Government parties stand on the occupied territories Bill in advance of the presidential election, which is coming up quickly.”
“We have been discussing banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements for years now. The occupied territories Bill was first published in 2018, so this Government, and previous ones, have had a long time to consider all of these issues. It is not a really long piece of legislation, for that matter, either. The level of talking down the clock and briefly approaching the question at the end is such a waste of everybody's time. This is Leaders' Questions and the leader's answers is implied within that. Is the Government going to include services? I recognise that services are different from goods. That is why I am specifically asking the Taoiseach about services and not goods. If the Taoiseach could answer the question, I would honestly really appreciate it.”
“If services are omitted from the occupied territories Bill, it will be against the advice of the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee. It issued a report in July and recommended that services be included. The Taoiseach also had a letter from more than 400 lawyers and legal academics stating there is no reason services cannot be included, not to mention the strength of feeling among the general public. Why is the Government intent on diluting the occupied territories Bill? We have seen today that the Government can act really quickly-----”
“In the West Bank, where Hamas does not have a presence, there were more than 1,000 violent settler attacks in the first eight months of this year alone. This is why Ireland has a duty under international law to end all trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The Government had promised to enact its own version of the occupied territories Bill, which would do just that, but it has been slow-walking its passage all year and refusing to commit to including services, along with goods, as part of this legislation. Yesterday, the Taoiseach told the Dáil the feedback he is getting is that services are "not ... implementable", meaning a huge component of trade between Ireland and the illegal settlements will continue if this Bill is ever enacted. We need to see action and we need to see accountability.”
“We will probably never know their names or hear the stories of how some of them spent years, even decades, in Israeli detention without charge, only to return to a wasteland yesterday where Gaza used to be, to discover their family members had been wiped out in the genocide. Of course, we hope with all of our hearts that this genocide is over, but we also have to face reality. Five Gazans were murdered by Israeli forces yesterday morning, just two days after they committed to a ceasefire. The simple fact of the matter is that the crimes and barbarity of the Israeli Government predate 7 October and in all likelihood will not come to an end with this peace deal. For decades, Palestinians have suffered under an apartheid regime and brutal occupation.”
“The scenes of joy and relief in Gaza and Israel over recent days have been wonderful to witness. In particular, the release of hostages on both sides yesterday was incredibly emotional, but it struck me once more that even in this fragile peace, Palestinians continue to be dehumanised. Many of us have learned the names and personal stories of the Israeli hostages who were, rightly, released. However, there was no similar coverage for Palestinian hostages, many of whom were never charged with or convicted of any crime. Despite this, they have been referred to by the international media as prisoners, their illegal internment and torture in Israeli prisons never mentioned.”
“Without taking these steps, and acknowledging the Government's approach is not working, nothing will change. I acknowledge that soundbites do not build houses but the Taoiseach needs to acknowledge that the Government is not building enough houses.”
“-----and he is yet to answer my question on when the Government will produce its housing plan. It is still delayed. There is acknowledging the role of the private sector, which we do, and then there is completely and utterly relying on it, which is what the Government does. The Government goes far beyond acknowledging the role of the private sector and goes to the extent of paying private developers to build luxury apartments it has already built. It is quite simply unbelievable. The dominance of private developers in the housing sector keeps housing prices high because, of course, they demand large profits. That is the nature of the private sector. To build affordable housing in Ireland we need to invest in State construction of housing. We need to build up the not-for-profit sector and we need to produce modular homes at scale.”
“The Social Democrats have a huge range of policy proposals that could make a real difference, such as the homes for Ireland saving plan to use some of the €160 billion just sitting in deposit accounts earning no interest and our plan to build a modular homes factory to turbo charge the delivery of affordable homes, but instead of adopting them or even examining them, the Government will just plough on with the same old failed approach. My question is: when is the Government going to publish its housing plan and is it planning to do anything different?”
“Budget after budget, people in their twenties, thirties and forties are looking on, still in their childhood bedrooms, missing out on milestones, relationships, career opportunities, having a family, unable to plan their future or put down roots in a community - all while they look at headlines about record budget surpluses. The disconnect is just staggering. People have been listening to Governments promising to address the housing disaster for more than a decade now, so I understand that many people out there just feel despair and hopelessness, but there are solutions.”
“According to the Central Bank, the Government is going to miss its housing targets again - this time by 8,500 homes. People are sick of hearing the Taoiseach say that the Government's approach to housing is working despite every metric proving otherwise. At some point, this Government is going to have to face reality. Its housing policies have failed. We need new thinking. The State needs to step up and deliver affordable homes. The State needs to radically change course, as its own Housing Commission recommended, because the fact of the matter is the Government's approach has not worked, it is not working now and it is not going to work.”
“This Government is clearly in panic mode. Its new housing plan was supposed to be published in July and there is still no sign of it. Instead, what we have seen is a succession of measures that all have one common feature: throwing more public money at developers in the desperate hope that the market will deliver. We have been here before and we know how it ends - soaring house prices and rents and a broken housing system. I am sure the Taoiseach does not need me to tell him that there is more disastrous news in housing today. Construction activity is down again, for the fifth time in a row. Just to be clear, the Government's target for 2025 is 41,000 homes. We are now halfway through October, so we have a pretty good idea of where it is going to go.”
“This budget will go down in history as a collection of bad choices and missed opportunities that were designed knowingly by a Government that bowed to corporate and vested interests.”
“It is for this reason that in our alternative budget we have proposed broadening the tax base. This would make it possible to introduce a weekly cost-of-disability payment, bring forward a second tier of child benefit that would help lift thousands of children out of poverty, target a €400 energy credit at 800,000 families who need it, cut childcare fees by €200 and roll out a public model of childcare to turbocharge the delivery of affordable homes and, finally, abolish the means test for carers. That the Government is not doing any of those things in the budget is a choice. It has chosen to prioritise fast-food chains and developers at the expense of people who are struggling.”
“Only €11.5 million has been allocated for domestic and gender-based violence initiatives in budget. This is less than the funding for greyhound racing, and it is an appalling contrast that is repeated year after year. We know that the world is increasingly volatile and that the increase in protectionist policies like Trump's tariffs could have a hugely damaging impact on a small, open economy like ours. I have heard the Government say the same, but those words ring hollow when it erodes the tax base by €1.3 billion and makes the national finances even more dependent on corporation taxes that could disappear at any moment. Unlike the Government and other Opposition parties, we in the Social Democrats do not believe that it is possible to slash taxes and boost spending on public services. That does not add up and is not credible.”
“In previous budgets, this was dealt with by splashing cash around at everyone, including, famously, the more than €100 million that was given to holiday home owners in energy credits. That kind of waste was never acceptable or sustainable. More targeted measures were needed. In our alternative budget, we in the Social Democrats have outlined how a €400 energy credit could be targeted at 800,000 households. This would be a lifeline for so many people who are barely keeping their heads above water. We rarely debate domestic and gender-based violence in this House - unless something horrific happens - but it should feature in every budget speech from every party. Despite the Government's so-called zero-tolerance approach, little ever seems to be done.”
“The Government has given up on climate action and the environment. Two billion euro per year will be put into a climate and nature, but that money is not ring-fenced for nature or climate action. We are nowhere near meeting out emission reduction targets and could face fines of up to €26 billion. At that point, we will be wishing we had spent those billions on climate action. This Government repeatedly tells us that inflation has come down and that is why the cost-of-living supports have been withdrawn. Whatever you say. What the Government never says is that inflation may have come down but prices have not. Energy costs are extortionate, and are still increasing.”
“As we speak, there are women who are asking themselves whether they can afford to go back to work and couples wondering if they can afford to have another child because families simply cannot come up with an additional €1,000 every month. How does the Minister of State think people feel comparing those election promises to this budget when they are making those decisions? My colleague, Deputy Aidan Farrelly, has been trying all year to get the Government to agree to set up a special Oireachtas committee on childcare so that everyone across the House could agree on a plan to reduce costs and finally roll out a public model. I ask that the Government please reconsider and commit to introducing a public model of childcare. Burying our heads in sand will not stop the climate crisis. This budget has shown the truth of the matter.”
“What do those people see? They see a €500 increase in college fees, their rent only going one way - up - and the cost of living going in the same direction. Is it any wonder that so many young people do not see a future for themselves in Ireland when they see extortionate housing costs while their lives are on hold, stuck in their childhood bedrooms? How can they be expected to put down roots in this country to plan to raise a family? Both parties spent the entire election saying if they were elected and returned to government, fees would be capped at €200 per month for childcare. This would be life-changing for so many families who are spending €1,000 or more every month on childcare fees.”
“We now have mountains of evidence telling us this the best way to lift tens of thousands of children out of poverty. Expert report after expert report has recommended it but instead of lifting more than 40,000 children out of poverty, the Government decided to spend the money elsewhere. It gave a blanket VAT cut to the hospitality sector that will disproportionately be eaten up by hugely profitable fast food chains. McDonald's made a profit of €42 million last year. Business is so good that it paid out a massive dividend of €51 million in 2023. That is not a business that is struggling or needs support. Slashing its VAT bill by 4% will boost its profits by millions of euro. Other large chains will enjoy similar windfalls. An entire generation is looking at this budget and wondering if there is a future here for it.”
“At a time when we have record budget surpluses, the Government consistently makes a commitment to tackling child poverty. In this budget, it had a chance to act. Instead, the Minister, Deputy Chambers, stood up in this Chamber yesterday and said the goal was to reduce the number of children in consistent poverty to no more than 3% by 2030. Does he even realise these are not just figures? Does he realise that 3% represents more than 36,000 children? Does he recognise what poverty looks like for those 36,000 children and their parents and what kind of impact that has on every single one of those kids? Let us be honest; that is not ambition. That is giving up. The Government could have done something radical. It could have introduced a second tier of child benefit and targeted the most vulnerable families.”
“The one-off measures people received in previous years were axed and replaced with nothing - literally nothing - except a vague commitment to look into designing a cost of disability payment. This budget is a shocking example of how empty the Government's words are on disability. It promised time and again to prioritise it and now, according to the Irish Wheelchair Association, people are facing a cut of €1,600 a year. All the Taoiseach had to say to them earlier was that, apparently, people were wrong. According to him, he actually is prioritising disabled people. On top of everything, there was a bit of gaslighting too. Child poverty is a national scandal. In the previous year alone, the number of children living in consistent poverty doubled.”
“When other tax cuts for developers are taken into account, this budget is worth more than €500 million to them. It is incredible. Of course, it is more than enough to pay for a permanent cost of disability payment. However, this Government somehow could not find the cash in a €9.5 billion budget. It really is inexcusable. I have to ask if the Government even reads its own expert reports because it has had a report sitting on its desk for years that details the huge cost of having a disability. In 2021, the Government commissioned a report that put the figure at up to €12,000. Since then, we all know that costs have spiralled even further. Instead of increasing supports in this budget, they were slashed.”
“It is not with the more than 200,000 children living in poverty and not with the hundreds of thousands who are locked out of home ownership. Instead, the priority in this budget was where it has been for a long time, namely, with the Government, developers and big business. They emerged as the big winners from yesterday's budget. The VAT cut for developers that was voted in last night, a measure the Government said was to boost supply, now applies to apartments that are already built and being sold. There is no requirement that prices come down or rents be made more affordable. There is nothing for renters or those desperate to own their own homes. There are no strings attached to this dig-out for developers. It is a straight-up transfer of wealth from the public purse to developer's pockets at a cost of €390 million annually.”
“Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that five Irish citizens have been kidnapped and detained by Israel today. If the Taoiseach and Tánaiste were here, I would appeal to them to do everything possible to secure their safe release and ensure Israel faced consequences for its actions. Instead, I appeal to the two Ministers of State present to relay that to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. The real surprise from yesterday's budget was not what was in it but what was missing. Yet again, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael walked into this Chamber and showed the country where their real priorities lay. It is not with tackling climate change. It is not with workers. It is not with disabled people. It is not with parents struggling to pay childcare costs or families who cannot pay an electricity bill.”
“His excuses will not pay for the added costs that people who have a disability face in Ireland every day. We have the lowest employment rates for people with a disability in the EU and threadbare services. We still have not seen the reintroduction of the motorised transport grant that was scrapped nearly two decades ago. I will ask the Taoiseach again. Will the Government reconsider introducing a cost of disability payment to recognise the cost of having a disability in this country?”
“How much the Taoiseach ignored disability in his reply is representative of how much it has been ignored in the budget. The Disability Federation of Ireland said it too; the Taoiseach does not have to take my word for it. It described the budget as a betrayal of disabled people, stripping away vital supports and deepening poverty. I recognise there was increased funding in the budget for disability, but the Minister of State with responsibility for disability herself said that the Department was coming from a low funding base. That is the understatement of the year. Services for disability have been starved for far too long now, so bringing it up ever so slightly will not make a dent. The Taoiseach knows that, I know that and disabled people all over the country know that. Yet, the Taoiseach is trying to defend it and make excuses.”
“Somehow, it still cannot seem to see the damage this approach is causing, including further discrimination against disabled people and record levels of homelessness. If constant increases in child poverty are not a wake-up call for the Government, I do not think there will be one. As I said, I am surprised but I should not be. I hope people will judge this Government on its actions, not its empty words in the lead-up to the election. My question is about one of those promises. Why did the Government not introduce a weekly cost of disability payment?”
“There is €568 million in tax cuts for developers, when less than half of that would be enough to introduce a weekly cost of disability payment. When we call for these measures, we get the usual response from the Government that it cannot do everything, that it would be financially irresponsible, etc. What is truly irresponsible is how the Government is playing fast and loose with the country's finances and the devastating consequences of that. The Government has narrowed the tax base by €1.3 billion, making our economy even more reliant on corporation taxes. It is further privatising our public services by stealth. Everywhere we look, we see the waste of taxpayers' money on a Government ideology that thinks the market is king.”
“Despite the fact that similar happens every year, I am still surprised, shocked and devastated that, year after year, the opportunity to address these issues is there and within reach but is wasted. It is particularly devastating when the Government is awash with cash. Government spending has soared from €70 billion in 2020 to nearly €120 billion now. What do we have to show for it? A worsening housing crisis, threadbare disability services and rising child poverty. This budget can be summed up quite simply: broken promises, missed opportunities and completely crazy priorities. Anyone examining it would think the cost-of-living crisis has been most acutely felt by developers and fast food chains. Millions of euro are going to the likes of McDonald's instead of lifting thousands of children out of poverty.”
“I should not be surprised by this Government's approach to the budget. Time and time again, we have seen Fianna Fáil's and Fine Gael's approach to these things. It is just that no matter what, it is hard to understand how, at a time when the number of children living in consistent poverty doubled last year, the Government chose not to introduce a second tier of child benefit. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why after all its election promises, the Government did not introduce a weekly cost of disability payment. It is just astounding that on budget day, the Minister for Finance failed to even mention the 16,000 people living in homelessness.”
“This Government and the previous Government have consistently squandered opportunities to make a real difference to those children's lives. Budgets are about choices and the Government has a big choice to make next week on how it spends public money. The Social Democrats has outlined a number of suggestions and new ideas that would alleviate child poverty. Will the Government reconsider introducing a second tier of child benefit payment?”
“I do recognise the big surpluses, and something the Social Democrats highlight every year at budget time and, indeed, throughout the year is that they need to be spent wisely because they are not necessarily forever. It is exactly a year ago today since the previous budget, a giveaway on steroids basically to try to buy the election. Now that there is no election on the horizon, the Government has suddenly realised that untargeted one-off measures are not a good idea, as if giving €100 million in energy credits to owners of holiday homes ever made sense. Meanwhile, last year the number of children living in consistent poverty doubled. I will repeat that. There were record budget surpluses, €100 million was given to holiday homeowners and the number of children living in consistent poverty doubled.”
“Our plan includes a second tier of child benefit that would lift 40,000 children out of poverty; a weekly cost-of-disability payment; abolishing the means test for carers; a reduction in childcare fees of €200 per month as well as finally rolling out a public model; plans for the State to acquire a modular housing factory to turbo charge the delivery of affordable homes; and a €400 energy credit for households in the bottom 40% of income. Does the Minister support any of these ideas and, if so, why the Government is not adopting any of them?”
“Where is the understanding of how much some people are struggling? Where is the ambition to do better? Where are the big ideas? Where are the radical measures that can make a real difference in making this country more affordable and more equal? This afternoon the Social Democrats will announce our alternative budget to show people that there is another way and that it is possible to drive down costs for families and target money wisely.”
“Never before has a Government had so much money to spend and achieved so little. The opportunity those record budget surpluses represented were wasted by the previous Government on one-off measures. What do we have to show for it? We have an ever-widening gap between rich and poor, a worsening housing disaster, threadbare disability services and crumbling infrastructure. What is most alarming is that it seems no lessons have been learned. We do not hear anything from the Government that indicates it wants to change course. This is why the kite flying about this year's budget is so concerning. If leaks are anything to go by, this will be an uninspiring budget which just tinkers around the edges. What strikes me is the lack of ambition and the absence of any imagination. The disconnect is staggering.”
“There is less than a week to go before the budget is announced and it is apparently "elbows out" at the Cabinet table, or at least that is what the newspapers are reporting. We are told there are battles going on behind the scenes as Ministers try to secure money for their Departments. You would swear this was a Government that made every single penny count. Of course, then we read the latest damning Comptroller and Auditor General report about enormous levels of waste across government and public bodies. A total of €20 million was wasted on renting unoccupied offices and €248,000 on unused hotel rooms for gardaí for one event. Tens of millions of euro of public money have been flushed down the drain because of the same old story of no controls, no oversight and no accountability.”
“We have to support carers with more than words. We will not improve the life of carers by tinkering around the edges; by increasing an income threshold. Carers are saving the State €20 billion a year. It would cost a fraction of that, €375 million to remove the means test. That is something the Social Democrats have allowed for in our alternative budget. It is not too late for the Government to do the same.”
“Due to means testing, Katie and her family are not eligible for supports. Any savings they had are long gone and recently they had to crowdfund for a downstairs bedroom for Penelope ahead of her scoliosis surgery in February. That is the reality of the means tested system. We hear time and again how the Government values carers, but where on Earth is the evidence of that? It is important to say the Government is paying lip service to a rights-based approach to disability, particularly in relation to the right to independent living. Disabled people should have a choice on how they live their lives, but that choice is not there at the moment because personal assistance hours and so many other essential supports are threadbare. Under a rights-based approach, family care would be a choice. In Ireland, most of the time it is not.”
“According to the report from the Citizens' Assembly on gender equality, women make up 98% of full-time carers. We are all well aware that linking an entitlement like that to partners' incomes only entrenches economic dependency. The result is far too many women are highly dependent on the income of their partner, exposing them to the very real risk of financial abuse. The impact the means test has on carers is immeasurable, it is exhausting, and it is wrong. Katie Healy Nolan lives in Cork. She is a carer for her daughter, Penelope, who has a life-limiting illness. On Monday, she told me that caring for her daughter, Penelope, is, "an absolute honour and the most fulfilling role I will ever hold, but I, like so many other unpaid carers feel like we are being punished for caring for our loved ones".”
“I thank Deputy Quaide for all his hard work on this motion. There should be no need for this debate. We are all in agreement that the means test for carers needs to be abolished, so the question is: why do we not just do it now? It is extremely insulting to reduce the work of carers down to numbers on a spreadsheet. It is the only type of work that is means tested like this. Carers who are slightly above income thresholds are often denied any support. People who have carer's allowance live in fear of it being taken away. The process is draining, it is stressful and it is bureaucratic to the extent that some people do not even bother to apply for it. Of course, to say that this disproportionately impacts women is an understatement .”
“I appeal to the Government to use every possible means we have to act in support of the flotilla, to engage with the Italian and Spanish Governments, whose navies are currently providing protection from illegal drone strikes, to urgently send a humanitarian mission in case of risk of injury to Irish citizens, to work with other countries to arrange an urgent observer mission, to ensure international pressure is brought down on Israel to let the flotilla proceed safely and to work as hard as we can to provide hope and support to the Palestinian people.”
“The flotilla is currently around 210 miles from the coast of Gaza and only 60 miles out from the so-called "orange line" beyond which Israel has been known to intercept boats and kidnap those onboard in complete violation of international law. This, therefore, is the crucial moment where those on board need our help. They need the eyes of Ireland and the world on the flotilla because witness is protection. This is not just about the safety of those aboard the boats. It is about the over 66,000 dead and the destruction of a country and a people. It is about our collective humanity and the integrity of international law in the face of a genocide.”
“They are onboard regardless, carrying food for a starving nation gripped by famine. They are also carrying medical supplies for the over 168,000 injured and, perhaps most importantly of all, they are carrying hope for the Palestinian people and for all of us around the world who have felt so helpless watching an unchecked genocide happen before our eyes. If the flotilla succeeds and they reach the Palestinian people, that moment would be one of utter strength and humanity. It would puncture the feeling of powerlessness that has gripped so many of us. It would be all too clear that ending this conflict is possible. That is why Israel is fearful of the flotilla. Israel sees peaceful acts of resistance as a threat. All oppressors do.”
“I welcome the families of the brave Irish citizens on board the flotilla, who are in the Gallery today. I cannot imagine how proud they must be, and how scared they must be for their safety. We are all here today united in our demands that the genocide in Gaza must end, that the blockade must be lifted, that aid should be allowed to flow freely, and that no harm should be done to those on board the Global Sumud Flotilla. On Saturday, 42 boats and 532 citizens set out to do what governments all over the world should have done. Every person on board those boats, including Senator Chris Andrews and Deputy Barry Heneghan, are there with the understanding that their lives are at risk, knowing that there is little Israel will not do to retain its stranglehold on Gaza.”
“They are just paid for the work they do. People live in a state of fear and anxiety that any meagre change in their incomes will tip them over a cliff edge into financial insecurity as a result of the system we have in place now. The Taoiseach acknowledged the need to do this over the term of the Government. It can be done overnight in this budget. The money is there.”
“The Taoiseach is acknowledging the need to abolish the means test for carers, from what I can gather. There is a commitment to abolish it over the term of this Government. The question is this: why wait? The Taoiseach says we do not acknowledge the work being done. I am acknowledging that this kind of work - these incremental reforms and the piecemeal things he is talking about - are bureaucratic. Carers deserve better. They deserve fair pay and dignity now. They deserved it yesterday. They deserved it years ago. The Government can do this now, but it is still being denied to them. The Government has a choice. It can choose to provide immediate recognition, security and support for carers. It is not too late to do that in this budget. I keep coming back to this point. In no other work are people means-tested like this.”
“Every year at budget time, I say the same thing: show me your budget, and I will show you your priorities. The truth is that if the State really valued carers or the work they do, they would be supported. They would not be forced to beg, fight and plead for crumbs from the budgetary table. The Parliamentary Budget Office has costed the removal of the means test for carer's allowance at €375 million a year. The Government could more than pay for that by tripling the bank levy, which would raise €400 million. Removing the means test for carer's allowance is affordable and achievable. It will be in the Social Democrats' alternative budget. Tomorrow the Dáil will debate a Social Democrats' motion on removing the means test for carers. Will the Government support it? Will the Government finally abolish the means test for carers?”
“The means test for carers is a perfect example of this. In no other line of work are people assessed on their partner's income, household savings or anything else. Anyone starting work as a garda, nurse or teacher is simply paid for their work but carers are treated very differently. Despite being the backbone of the care system in this country and saving the State more than €20 billion a year, carers are asked to jump through endless hoops to secure a small allowance. This approach is not just bureaucratic and exhausting; it is insulting. It reveals that the State really treats carers like their work is somehow optional and that it views supporting them like some kind of charity, instead of treating care like the essential work it is.”