Tánaiste opens new Carers’ Association Resource Centre in Limerick

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Harney, today (12 June 2000) opened a new resource centre for the Carers’ Association in Limerick.

The Mungret Street Centre is the latest in a national network of such centres operated by the Carers’ Association and which are designed to provide support and practical assistance for carers

Speaking at the opening of the centre the Tánaiste pledged the Government’s continued commitment to the implementation of a strategy for the development of services for older people which will also include the needs of carers.

The Tánaiste said "Carers make an enormous contribution not only to the care of older people and other dependent family members but also to society as a whole. This can often be at substantial personal cost in terms of their own financial, mental and physical well-being. It is not usually a role they plan to take upon themselves but it can often become a twenty-four-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week-task.

""It is essential, therefore that both the voluntary and statutory sector work together to support carers in every practical way possible," the Tánaiste said

"This Government has provided continued support in the current year in the form of £1m specifically for the support of carers and a further £780,000 to improve community supports. The carers’ allowance and respite care grant, introduced in 1999, were increased this year and free schemes such as free electricity and TV licences were extended to those on a carers’ allowance. A carers’ benefit scheme was also introduced," the Tánaiste continued.

"However, voluntary organisations are often the first to recognise and respond to need and the Carers’ Association is one such group. Their work with carers is invaluable and everyone connected with the Association is to be commended for the role which they play," the Tánaiste added

"The national network of Resource Centres is an important service provided by the Association. This latest addition to that network here in Limerick is very welcome and will provide important support in identifying and responding to the needs of carers in the local community. I congratulate all those associated with making the centre a reality," the Tánaiste concluded.