I wish the Taoiseach well if this is his last day taking Leaders' Questions. I thank him for his friendship and loyalty over the last seven or eight years.

In the aftermath of the referendums we had and the Government's insistence that it wanted to do something for carers, will the Government support our Private Member's motion coming before the Dáil next month? We will be seeking the introduction or the initiation of a non-means-tested carers support scheme for carers.

Equally, regarding the issue of disabilities and the waiting times we have now, it was reported yesterday that 8,900 children were on a waiting list waiting for an assessment of need. The NGOs have said the HSE's own figures last October referred to approximately 19,000 people waiting for a needs assessment. We need to get to grips with what is happening here and have a true account so we can plan for the future.

I thank the Deputy. Referendum or no referendum, I think we need to do more to demonstrate that we value carers and are on their side. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, is bringing through legislation that will give pensioners a full State contributory pension, recognising their years of caring as equivalent to PRSI contributions. I think this is very important. There are several sets of payments being made to carers. There is the means-tested carer's allowance, the means test for which will be relaxed from June. There is also the carer support grant that is not means tested at all. The Minister is currently reviewing those payments in advance of the next budget. The areas we are really trying to invest more in are therapies and treatments for people with disabilities and their assessments. We are also trying to get more respite centres open because carers need a break and time off so they can keep doing what they do. Our real challenge there has been recruitment and finding skilled staff to take those positions.