Family Carers Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Family Carers Ireland

Date published 21 May, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Children and Youth Affairs

Period 1 Jan, 2025 to 30 Apr, 2025

Specific Details Supports for Young Carers in Ireland

Intended results • establish a cross Departmental working group on young carers and designate a Department with lead responsibility; • commit to develop a new dedicated programme of supports and services for young carers and young adult carers, through a new National Strategy for Carers; • improve the identification of young carers at the earliest opportunity so that services can be adequately resourced so young carers can access the additional support they need; • ensure that Ministers in the Department of Education and Youth, and Department of Children, Disability and Equality recognise their responsibilities to young carers and develop appropriate support programmes; • put in place bespoke programmes in schools to recognise and support the specific needs and circumstances of young carers; • provide pathways and programmes for young adult carers to access or remain in further and higher education or other training while also recognising their caring duties; • recognise the unpaid work of young carers with guaranteed respite days, the introduced of a Young Carer Grant and educational bursaries, dedicated funding for counselling or psychological support, and increased carer payments; • provide additional home care supports so that young carers have more time for themselves; • publish a comprehensive plan outlining the annual increases that will be made to the income disregard for Carer’s Allowance towards phasing it out over the lifetime of this government.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Karen Mc Cullagh, Elayne O Hara

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Event / Reception (1)

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Nessa Cosgrove Senator (Seanad)

Aidan Farrelly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Cathal Byrne Senator (Seanad)

Gillian Toole TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Micheál Carrigy Senator (Seanad)

Marie Sherlock TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ciarán Ahern TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Duncan Smith TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Louise O'Reilly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Natasha Newsome Drennan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Donnelly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Liam Quaide TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jen Cummins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Sinéad Gibney TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ivana Bacik TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Nicholas Gogarty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Robert O'Donoghue TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Conor Sheehan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Alan Kelly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Laura Harmon Senator (Seanad)

Ged Nash TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)