Fianna Fáil general election candidate for Kerry, Linda Gordon Kelleher, said her party’s manifesto shows the value and respect towards carers and the work that they do.
She said the abolition of the means test is a necessity.
“We are the party that introduced the carers allowance and half-rate carers’ allowance and, most recently, increased the rate of payments and income disregards.
“We want to implement a range of measure to continue supports for them,” Ms Gordon Kelleher said.
One of the measures proposed in the manifesto is the allocation of €600 million to increase the income disregards to qualify for the carer’s allowance, with a view to abolishing the means test over the term of the next government.
“I am hearing people who should qualify for carers just do not apply for the allowance as they feel they will be over the threshold for it.
“The means test is a barrier to people who are giving up their lives and saving the state money to look after their loved ones,” the FF candidates stated.
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