I rise to plead with the Government to do something meaningful to help family carers. I am wearing their badge. It is a small token of what I can do. In successive budgets they have not received the recognition they deserve, especially when it comes to getting payments such as fuel allowance. There are strict criteria. Carers play an important role in keeping people in their homes where they are happier and live longer and where they do not block up badly overcrowded emergency departments or hospital beds. Family and child carers are in a very difficult situation looking after loved ones. Family carers need special supports in the budget because of the cost of living, the cost of oil and the cost of travelling to people's homes. I salute them and the dedicated work they do. Will the Government please give them the due recognition they so richly deserve in the budget? I sympathise with Catherine Cox on her recent bereavement. She is an organiser.

We very much value the essential work that family carers do. Of course we will give consideration in the budget as to how we can help them out. Everyone, particularly carers and some other groups, are feeling the bite of the cost of living much harder, especially people who have to be at home a lot and generate costs relating to heating. We will absolutely bear this in mind in the budget package. I point out that anything we do in the budget will be additional to what we have done for carers in recent years, which should not be forgotten. There has been an increase in the carer's allowance and the carer's support grant. More respite is being provided throughout the country. There has been a relaxation of the means test to qualify for the carer's allowance, which was pioneered by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. There is also the extension of free GP care to recipients of the carer's allowance, which was introduced by the Minister, Deputy Harris.