MacGill Summer School: The stark contrast between the way that carers in the Republic of Ireland are treated compared to those in Northern Ireland was highlighted at the MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal, yesterday.
There are an estimated 120,000 carers - people who care for the elderly, the seriously ill, or those with special needs - in the Republic yet only just over 20,000 of them qualify for either the full or reduced carers' allowance.
According to the national chairman of the Carers Association, Mr Sean Gallagher, applicants must complete a 20-page application form and are means-tested.
By contrast, there is no means test in Northern Ireland. Every health carer in the North has a free healthcare service.
Addressing the theme "Looking after those with special needs", he pointed out that despite lobbying for social justice for carers, it appears that the annual pre-budget submission doesn't change other than for the title and the year.
"The Government is not addressing the core issue for carers," he contended, adding that key recommendations of the report produced by the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities in 1996 have not been implemented yet.
The key recommendations include a nationwide assessment procedure with an independent appeals system, a carers' allowance for all, and non-taxing of the allowance.
"If you are a millionaire you can receive child benefit, which is not means-tested and is non-taxable. Carers who work in the home, saving the State billions every year, are means-tested and liable to pay tax on their carers' allowance," he stated.
He also questioned the delay in collating a national database of carers. The CSO has indicated that it will not have detailed figures until 2004.
"At any given time we can tell how many cattle are in our national herd, but we are having difficulty finding out how many carers we have," he said.
Meanwhile, he also called for penalty points to be imposed on drivers found wrongfully using parking bays reserved for those with disabilities.