Government examining payments to carers after referendum defeat

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (Niall Carson/PA)

The Government has to demonstrate to carers that it is “on their side”, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar said the Government could continue to increase payments to carers and people with disabilities, relax the means tests and improve the home-care tax credit.

Mr Varadkar also said it could improve parental leave to give parents more choice about when or if they return to work.

It comes after 73% of the voters in a recent referendum rejected the wording of a constitutional amendment about family care.

The Taoiseach told reporters: “I think we need to, obviously, demonstrate to carers and people with disabilities that we are on their side and that we are working in their interests.”

He said Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys is looking at a review of the means tests and various payments, as well as examining a State-contributory pension for carers.

He added: “We’re doing all that we can to provide more respite which is very deficient at the moment and provide more therapies and more services and unfortunately, that’s not up to where it should be.

“But the real difficulty there isn’t financial, or lack of concern or care from the Government, it’s finding skilled people who are qualified to do the job and willing to do the job and that’s that’s been a real struggle for us.”