In the shadow of the looming budget, I refer to the importance of putting carers at the heart of it. As the Taoiseach knows, family carers save the State approximately €20 billion a year, which is the equivalent of a second HSE. In my constituency of Clare, some 6% of the population, or more than 8,200 people, provide unpaid care. In addition, the number of Clare people providing over 43 hours of unpaid care a week more than doubled in the last census. These are good people providing round-the-clock care to friends and family members. I encourage the Taoiseach to use budget 2024 to introduce a suite of meaningful measures to assist carers, such as phasing out the means test, extending eligibility for the fuel allowance, introducing a statutory disregard for carers on local authority rents and increasing payments. I ask that carers not be left out in the cold in budget 2024. They are the backbone of this country.

We are all conscious of the huge contribution carers make. I made some considerable changes in last year's budget to the carer's disregard in terms of savings allowed and an increase in income limits such that people can earn more money and still qualify for the carer's allowance. I keep all these matters under review. Carers certainly will be a focus in this budget, along with people with disabilities, many of whom are the people being cared for, and pensioners.