Fine Gael unveils €140m plan to support carers better

[David Cochrane]

MORE than 150,000 carers will be immediately better off under Fine Gael plans for increased financial support, party leader Enda Kenny claimed yesterday.

Launching a document entitled 24-7-365 yesterday, the party vowed to introduce a raft of measures if returned to government. - Irish Examiner

Other coverage: Irish Times, Irish Indepedent.

[BarryW]

http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=13537

Already a thread on this. I was about to add the media coverage, but you beat me to it

[David Cochrane]

As I've explained in the past, I start these threads to get them onto the Homepage in a format/presenation that is acceptable.

I'll post up a guide to "How you can get your thread on the homepage" when the site relaunches this day fortnight.

[Salthill]

I've just had a look at the FG site and the press release has no mention of the 140m?

[rockofcashel]

As I've explained in the past, I start these threads to get them onto the Homepage in a format/presenation that is acceptable.

I'll post up a guide to "How you can get your thread on the homepage" when the site relaunches this day fortnight.

Look David .. haven't you been told before .. don't answer Barry back

[BarryW]

Look David .. haven't you been told before .. don't answer Barry back

Yeah well you certainly followed that rule (very conveniently, for you) on this thread
Unfortunately you applied the same silence to jjcarroll, crockerjarman and others too. Have you gotten to the bottom of that little mystery yet? Feel free to get back to us when you do

[BarryW]

The Fine Gael proposals on Carers include:

Financial Supports
- Carers to be assessed indivually for the Carers Allowance means test
- An end to the inequity of elderly carers being denied the Carers Allowance because they receive a State Pension
- Carers will have the opportunity to work 20 hours a week without losing their Carers Allowance

Information for Carers
- A "One Stop Shop" point of contact for carers will be established, providing information on entitlements, service and support
- An Integrated Case Management service will be set up, to help families to find care arrangements which are most suited to their situation
- This service would bring all cross-agency and cross-departmental services under one roof and would be of particular use to new carers

Care for Carers
- A new focus of policy in this area on the 3,000 carers aged 15-17, assisting them with further supports in the areas of home help and educational assistance
- FG will help former carers to re-integrate into the workforce by giving them priority access to FAS and other education programmes, and by introducing an employers PRSI exemption scheme to employers who take on former carers
- A "Certificate of Carers" will be provied by the Integrated Case Management system, as proof of their work and recognition of the skills they have acquired - helping them to gain employment after working as carers

[Salthill]

Where is the 140m figure?

Is this substantially different from the New Deal for Carers announced at the Ard Fheis?

[rockofcashel]

Lets talk policy so ...

The Fine Gael proposals on Carers include:

Financial Supports

- Carers to be assessed indivually for the Carers Allowance means test

What the estimated cost of this proposal, and who will be doign the assessing ?

At what level of income will a carer go outside the allowance ?

Will other "lifestyle" costs be taken into account in the means test ?

[quote:28o3ktoj]
- An end to the inequity of elderly carers being denied the Carers Allowance because they receive a State Pension

Do FG intend to apply this rule across the whole range of Social Welfare payments, or only State Pensions ?

Will a person for example who is in reciept of an Unemployed Allowance also be entitled to a Carers Allowance ?

- Carers will have the opportunity to work 20 hours a week without losing their Carers Allowance

At what rate of pay ?

Is there a ceiling ?


Information for Carers

- A "One Stop Shop" point of contact for carers will be established, providing information on entitlements, service and support

Where ?

If this is planned for a website, what will be the alternative for those with neither web access, nor web literacy ?

- An Integrated Case Management service will be set up, to help families to find care arrangements which are most suited to their situation

- This service would bring all cross-agency and cross-departmental services under one roof and would be of particular use to new carers

Goobeldegook ...


Care for Carers

- A new focus of policy in this area on the 3,000 carers aged 15-17, assisting them with further supports in the areas of home help and educational assistance

How.

Can you please explain further.

- FG will help former carers to re-integrate into the workforce by giving them priority access to FAS and other education programmes, and by introducing an employers PRSI exemption scheme to employers who take on former carers

Why should carers get a priority ?

- A "Certificate of Carers" will be provied by the Integrated Case Management system, as proof of their work and recognition of the skills they have acquired - helping them to gain employment after working as carers

[/quote:28o3ktoj]

Will this be HETAC approved ?

Who will police it ?

How will there be a level of consistency of experience across different care groups ?

[salt]

So when will I receive my compensation from FG for the eircom shares I lost money in ?