Sinn Féin General Election candidate for Galway East, Cllr Louis O’Hara, has said that carers across Galway are struggling financially and receiving payments way below the established minimum essential standard of living. O’Hara argues that the means test for carers allowance must be abolished and that Sinn Féin in government are committed to doing so.
Cllr O’Hara said: “Carers and people with disabilities deserve respect and deserve to be listened to.
“Instead, under Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party, so many carers across Galway are struggling financially and are receiving payments way below the established minimum essential standard of living.
“The means test excludes thousands of carers, and results in many receiving reduced and inadequate payments.
“A further insult to carers is that they are being told to wait until next summer to see any increases in their thresholds, instead of in January as with other social welfare recipients.
“Carers shouldn’t be pushed to the back of the queue. They shouldn’t have to wait six months for modest improvements to the system.
“The changes to carers means test thresholds contained in Budget 2025 must be brought forward to January 2025.
“Sinn Féin strongly believes that the crucial and vital role that carers do in supporting their loved ones must be recognised.
“That is why we are very clearly setting out our stall that, in government, Sinn Féin would bring an end to the means test for carers, and that we would deliver this over the course of a term in government.”
