(L-R) Craig Harrison, CarersNI; Jack Watt and Maddie Balmer from Ballymena who represent a network of young carer advocates in North Antrim, with Robin Swann MLA.
Ulster Unionist MLA and former Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann has warned that people who give so much by caring for others are some of those being hardest hit by the ongoing absence of an Executive.
The North Antrim MLA was commenting after the publication of a report from the Coalition of Carers Organisations in which the increasingly dire outlook for unpaid carers was starkly demonstrated.
Robin Swann said:
“Carers are the backbone of our society. They provide an immensely important service and without them it’s a simple matter of fact that an enormous number of people would not be able to experience the quality of life that they currently do.
“According to the last Census, there were more than 220,000 people providing unpaid care for a sick or disabled family member or friend in Northern Ireland. They can range from young to old and whilst for some it may be a few hours here and there, the figures also confirm that for many others they provide 50 hours or more unpaid care per week. That’s an enormous sacrifice, and whilst for some they still wouldn’t have it any other way, the reality is carers themselves also need support.
“That’s why the content of this report makes for such worrying reading. It states categorically that the political impasse and ongoing absence of a local Executive and Ministers is ‘jeopardising’ the health of our unpaid carers on a massive scale. Exhaustion, burnout and breakdown are all listed as the realities of what life is like for a growing number of carers at present.
Jack Watt and Maddie Balmer from Ballymena who represent a network of young carer advocates in North Antrim
“What makes the current situation even more unforgiveable is that it really doesn’t have to be that way. When I was Minister of Health I was able to reprofile over £4 million of funding to open a brand new targeted support fund for carers and their organisations.
“Since that fund was created over two years ago dozens of new projects have received funding meaning they were able to directly support thousands of individual carers on the ground. Unfortunately, however, in the ongoing absence of an Executive and the now associated chaos in Northern Ireland’s public finances, the fund has ended with the final round of applications already being received.
“There are lots of joined-up initiatives that should be happening across each of the Executive Departments to support carers, and yet shamefully in the absence of political leadership, the reality is that very little are now underway."
“For everyday we go without a local Government more harm is being inflicted and the harder it will be to repair the damage being caused,” warned the North Antrim MLA.