Carers urged to declare hours

CARERS have been urged to declare the full number of hours they spend looking after loved ones in the upcoming census.

As part of the Question 22 Carers Count Campaign launched yesterday, carers have been asked to ensure they include the full total of hours they spend caring for family members, with the aim of providing accurate data which could affect future policy in the area.

According to the last Census in 2006 there were 160,917 carers around the country, contributing three million hours of caring each week and saving €2.5 billion annually for the Irish economy.