Calls for carers to be prioritised for vaccine
CLLR Davy Hynes sought the support of his county council colleagues for a motion calling on the government to recognise carers as ‘essential workers’ when it comes to the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines.
As has been covered on the pages of this newspaper on several occasions, carers don’t actually figure on the vaccine priority list at all, something which Cllr Hynes feels is unacceptable.
‘Family Carers are irreplaceable in the lives of the people they care for and should they become ill or require to self isolate the cared-for person’s lives will instantly arrive at a crisis situation,’ he said. ‘Due to lack of investment in disability and elderly services for decades both locally and nationally, the health system does not have available capacity to provide the care provided at home by the family carer should such crisis arrive.’
‘Family Carers need to be prioritised for vaccines as a matter of urgency as they have been in many other States within the EU where their value to our vulnerable citizens is recognised and valued as essential to them and to society at large.’
Cllr Hynes noted that the 2012 Vision Statement sets out that carers ‘ will be supported to maintain their health and well-being and to care with confidence’, before adding: ‘Nearly a decade later in January 2021, no social care support has been offered to carers who are caring for children with disabilities when special schools remain closed and adult day services remain at much-reduced capacity followed by a blunt statement from the Minister for Health to say he will not prioritise family carers in the vaccine roll-out. Visions are wonderful, but reality is where we live.’
Cllr Hynes’ motion saw the unanimous support of his council colleagues.