Family Carers Ireland recently held its Kerry Town Hall event ahead of Budget 2027 at the Meadowlands Hotel in Tralee, where pressing issues facing the sector were discussed with politicians.
The event was part of a nationwide series giving family carers the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face and the support they need.
Among the topics discussed were challenges in accessing essential services, including respite care, specialist supports and home care.
Many described the process as ‘unnecessarily difficult’ and expressed concern about the decline in supports as children with disabilities transition to adult services.
One carer said they had to make several attempts to secure respite, being turned down initially and only succeeding after escalating the case.
Shortages of home care workers in the county were also raised, with a carer describing the worry of leaving a loved one living with dementia alone, even for an hour, to do essential errands.
Establishing a fairer and more efficient system for carers also featured. There were calls for reforms to social welfare and health systems, including the abolition of the means test for Carer’s Allowance, greater flexibility around medical card eligibility and reduced bureaucracy for families caring for people with lifelong conditions.
There was strong support for ‘lifelong’ medical cards for people with disabilities whose conditions will not change, so families do not have to complete applications every three years. One carer spoke of being just over the means threshold and having their medical card revoked.
The sense of isolation experienced by carers – along with the financial pressures and emotional toll of caring – were also raised. Carers said they felt ‘penalised from all angles’ and called for a more compassionate welfare system.
One man spoke of his bereavement following the death of his partner by suicide. He is now a single parent of children with complex needs who, he said, are unable to participate in society because the supports they need are unavailable.
The fall-off in services as children move to adult services was underlined by one participant, who said fewer supports are available as people age, making the transition difficult.
The need for specialist professionals and greater HSE efficiency was also a major issue. There was broad agreement that more specialist professionals should be made available in Kerry.
Carers pointed to ‘the wastage’ in the HSE and suggested a ‘Michael O’Leary-type’ approach to cutting inefficiency that could free up resources for frontline services, including keeping more cared-for people in their own homes with the right supports.