There is nothing left to give, say embattled carers

Carers yesterday pleaded with the Government to have a change of heart over cutting essential supports that enable them to care for their loved ones.

The Carers Association led a protest outside the Dáil as about 70,000 full-time carers began receiving this year’s respite allowance minus the €325 slashed from it in last December’s budget.

For Johanne Powell, that 20% reduction is the latest in a string of cuts making the task of caring for her disabled daughter increasingly difficult, to the point where 29-year-old Siobhan will have to go into residential care.