Family Carers Ireland
@CarersIreland
Followers
8K
Following
2K
Media
2K
Statuses
6K
We are the national charity supporting Ireland's 500,000+ family carers. @lidl_ireland charity partner.
Joined January 2011
"They do stuff for their brother that no child their age has to do or should have to do but they do it without a blink of an eye." Lynsey O'Donovan on her amazing daughters Sophie, Katie & Robyn who help care for their brother Jack. #LateLate #RTEToyShowAppeal #youngcarers
8
22
487
The Basic Income for Artists (€325) and PUP (€350) highlight the inadequacy of Carer’s Allowance to provide a basic standard of living. Only 1 in 4 receive the max rate of €224. A €15 increase does not go far enough. #Budget2023 #costoflivingcrisis
8
72
244
"The extra bank holiday will do nothing for family carers, in fact, it would probably put more pressure on them. Day services will close that day. Schools will close. So it means the family carer, the fulltime carer at home, will have no supports on the day." #DrivetimeRTE.
8
66
222
#Census2022 is Sunday, April 3rd. If you care for a loved one, relative, friend or neighbour with additional needs, you are a family carer & we want you to be counted! Please answer YES to Q23 and include your hours of caring. Find out more at #CarersCount
4
102
218
"As his carer, I absolutely should be getting the vaccine to protect him &, if I fall ill, who will mind Jack?. It would make total sense that carers like me are on the vaccine priority list like frontline workers because we are indeed frontline workers."
4
56
176
"We have always said the means test is unfair. Carers should be paid for the work that they do based on the needs and the care they provide, not based on the income of a partner or the household." FCI's Catherine Cox speaking on @PatKennyNT. Listen below.
11
42
136
Family carers must be added to the vaccination priority list. Who will care if the family carer gets Covid? And at what cost? Use this #carerscantwait and let's get this trending today. Time and patience are running out and family carers simply can't wait. #carerscantwait.
7
74
139
“As a carer for my daughter with disabilities I expect to be ignored by the Govt again. We’re told time & again how great we are & how much we save the Govt but, do you know what, I think we need some of that money we’re saving them. " #Budget2024
8
46
126
Nearly showtime!!⏰ David Brophy's #UnsungHeroes on @RTEOne at 9:35pm features a choir of inspirational family carers. The programme is honest, moving, thought-provoking & incredibly inspiring, shining a light on those who go above & beyond every day caring for their loved ones.
10
13
126
We are delighted to announce that @IrishLife are making an incredible donation of €350,000 to help us support family carers through #Covid19 & beyond. We are extremely grateful to @IrishLife for their remarkable support which will help those most in need.
6
28
112
“We’re being ignored basically — there are a lot of angry carers. And we’re all really exhausted — we don’t have the energy to fight for this but we have to because we always have to put our loved ones first. " #carerscantwait #WhoCaresForTheCarer
6
33
96
We're proud to announce the launch of our #WhoCares TV ad, airing across @VirginMedia_TV during December, featuring real #familycarers helping to raise awareness of the work done day in, day out by those caring for loved ones and the need for support and recognition. #charity
5
35
94
Family Carers Ireland will join @AsIAmIreland, @InclusionIre and @DownSyndromeIRL in a meeting with @NormaFoleyTD1 and @Education_Ire on Monday to discuss the decision to close special schools and classes for children with additional needs.
8
16
91
👏HUGE congrats to Cara (12) who has become the youngest person to pass Leaving Cert maths getting a remarkable 97% while raising awareness of #familycarers & #youngcarers & fighting for improved services for children with additional needs & their families
0
17
87
Family Carers Ireland has called on the Government to recognise the vital role of family carers during Covid-19 in helping to keep loved ones safe by extending the €1,000 Covid bonus to all full time family carers.
0
29
87
"We NEED the vaccine. Carers can't wait." - @McNiffecent, who cares for her son Jack, chatting to @RadioRayRTE on @RTERadio1 about the need to prioritise family carers for the #COVID19 vaccine. #carerscantwait
3
24
80
"That's one of the best experiences I've ever had." - @OfficialAslan's Christy Dignam on singing Crazy World with family carers. #UnsungHeroes
3
14
78
.@sinnfeinireland has published a wide-ranging motion calling for improvements to family carer supports including priority access to #COVID19 vaccines. It will be debated in the Dáil from 10am-12pm on Wed. #FamilyCarers #carerscantwait #whocaresforthecarer
4
38
72
"Do people need to fall before they get any help?" #familycarers.
There have been calls on the HSE and the Government to reduce waiting lists for those seeking access to respite services. Recent figures from the Health Research Board show that over thirteen hundred people require overnight respite | Read more:
6
39
77
Matthew is the youngest member of the #UnsungHeroes choir & one of Ireland's 56,000 young carers. Don't miss David Brophy's #UnsungHeroes on @RTEOne at 9:35pm on Wed as the choir performs with @gavinjames, @eleanormcevoy & @JohnSpillane_ at the @NatOperaHouse #MakingCaringVisible
0
18
69
The age-based system for rolling out the #CovidVaccine is expected to take effect after Group 8 are vaccinated. This changes nothing & we continue to call for #FamilyCarers to be included in Group 6 alongside other healthcare workers. #carerscantwait
3
25
69
Alongside @InclusionIre, @AsIAmIreland and @DownSyndromeIRL, we have been in contact with @Education_Ire to call for guidelines for the Summer Provision Programme to be released ASAP to allow schools and families plan ahead. It is our understanding that guidance will issue soon.
2
11
71
"Many of them [family carers] live in lockdown with no end in sight. Please, let us all remember them. They are a tireless and dedicated workforce. Sadly, they are also invisible to most of us. Forgotten lives. This has to change." #MakingCaringVisible
3
36
69
"They [family carers] have NO entitlement to a single day off. A minimum respite of 21 days a year should be included within the statutory home care scheme where a full-time family carer is present."
2
28
68
“For people who are in positions to make these decisions, if they just went and spent half a day with someone who does what I do, it might open their eyes a little bit more to how hard it is.” #familycarers #nooneshouldhavetocarealone
0
27
62
"‘Absolutely essential’ family carers prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine"
2
27
66
"The family carers like me who provide nursing-level care to our incapacitated loved one must be seen as healthcare workers and given priority in Covid testing." #COVID19
1
18
62
"Life as a family carer can be rewarding & joyful but it can also be really difficult. We have to fight & wait, & wait, for everything. For a diagnosis, for therapies, for assessments, for appointments, for appropriate school & adult day services."
6
22
66
“Every day I wake up & it actually is terrible to be afraid to die. if anything happened to me, I feel I will have failed him & the system will have failed him, and that is an awful way for a lone parent to feel.” #familycarers #nooneshouldhavetocarealone
2
18
65
"Almost all families like ours are no longer getting respite or home care/nursing because it’s too risky. We have been forgotten. Our families are never mentioned. The mental health of carers is vitally important for us to continue to be able to care. "
4
32
61
Our deepest sympathies to our 2018 National Carer of the Year Brenda O’Connell Barry and her husband Trevor following the sad passing of their seven year old son Fionn. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
3
3
62
"You need to prioritise me and you need to prioritise all the carers in the country.".
‘I don’t get sleep – we are totally unsupported.’ . Sinead Tighe who is a carer describes what she needs from the government to assist her in caring for her son. #RTEUpfront
2
17
63
Well done to EVERYONE involved in David Brophy's #UnsungHeroes, particularly the inspirational choir of family carers!! ICYMI, the second and final part of the documentary is available right now on the @RTEplayer #makingcaringvisible #shinealight
3
16
61
"It's lonely being a carer. We need more homecare packages and for HSE carers to spend longer in people's homes. Carers need more respite, and emergency respite should be available when needed."
0
35
59
"So much is expected from us as family carers. I feel like we are filling in the gaps of the services as they just aren’t there. 20 years later, I am still battling.”
1
24
56
"Children with disabilities are being wilfully neglected by the HSE as their families struggle to cope without vital equipment such as wheelchairs and bathing seats, causing stress, financial strain and burnout. " @fussireland #letsmakeafuss
3
17
58
"If a family carer contracts Covid-19, they cannot have any contact whatsoever with the person they care for, for a minimum of 10 to 14 days. They cannot even enter the same room. What happens to their loved one? Who takes care of their loved ones then?"
1
24
59
We are SO proud of the 5 INCREDIBLE young carers who took part in #toyshow2021, representing Ireland's 67,000 young carers! And to Hailey (Golden) from Mayo, who took the solo in her stride, nailed it and got to sing with @edsheeran! Amazing! #toyshowappeal #toyshowchoir
1
9
59
"It comes down so simply to the fact that if I get sick, who's going to look after my Dad?. What's the cost of that to the state if he ends up being a crisis admission to hospital, because I can't see any other alternative." #carerscantwait
0
25
57
“When I went in to wake him up this morning he just looked so sad, as if to say: ‘What are you waking me for? There’s no bus. There’s no school. There’s no nothing.’ And I can’t even tell him when it’s going to resume. They need to give us that.”
1
12
53
“The fact that family carers have once again been ignored is devastating. They were cast aside for PPE, they were ignored for priority testing and now they are being ignored for vaccinations. What message does that send out?" #carerscantwait
6
25
58
"I believe the whole vaccination debate has shone a light on a far deeper problem within our society and that is the lack of recognition and value placed on the work of Ireland’s 500,000 family carers." #carerscantwait #WhoCaresForTheCarers
1
30
60
“We’re not asking to skip any queues or jump ahead of anyone. We just want to be included in the conversation and know someone in Government is thinking about us. We’re really not asking for a lot.” #carerscantwait #WhoCaresForTheCarer
3
23
56
Family Carers Ireland warmly welcomes President Higgins' acknowledgement & support for family carers. As we emerge from this pandemic, we sincerley hope that Government will heed his wise words and truly recognise our family carers.
3
18
58
"FCI are urging Govt not to discriminate against family carers by excluding them from the vaccination priority list, unlike paid care workers who are included. This will leave many family carers with only one option & that is to pursue a legal route." #carerscantwait #VMNews
6
22
51
"When I brought up the fact that the Carer’s Allowance that I get equates to 78c per hour, I was told that I shouldn’t look at it as remuneration. When family carers are told that what we do is worth so little it really makes us feel quite worthless."
1
22
55
"I worry a lot about bringing the virus home to my mother. If I get sick, who will look after her?. We've spent a year trapped by fear. I'm part of an army of hundreds of thousands of family carers, the forgotten frontline. "
2
16
56
“There are huge issues for carers. The respite issue is one on everyone’s lips. If I cannot look after myself, how can I look after anyone else.” #familycarers #Budget2022
7
16
53
"It is deeply concerning. that family carers have no entitlement or right to respite which means that many family carers care 24/7, 365 days of the year without a break. Access to regular respite remains a pipe dream for so many families." Stream live:
0
24
54
"I’m writing to you as one of the 500,000 family carers in Ireland. We save the State €20 billion a year. To enable us to continue to do so, we need more support. We need respite. We need a break!"
2
25
56
“I’ve been floored to realise that I don’t know when Pierce is going to get a vaccine, I don’t know when myself and my husband are going to get vaccines. We’re stuck in this purgatory long-term.” #WhoCaresForTheCarer #carerscantwait
1
23
55
"Caring is work with no break & no end in sight during these Covid-19 times. The time has now come for a shift in attitude towards disability & carers. It is not enough to leave us at home in the dark in the silent hope that it will be grand."
0
24
52
"In recent times, people who lost their jobs or were unable to work because of Covid were able to claim the PUP. At one stage this was valued at €350 per week. This would be a fair sum to have the Carer's Allowance pitched at." - Damien Douglas who cares for his twin daughters.
1
14
52
Tune into @VirginMediaNews @ 5.30pm where Head of Communications & Policy, Catherine Cox from @CarersIreland will be joined by 2 family carers as we continue to lobby on behalf of family carers being prioritised for the vaccine. No one should have to care alone. #vaccinepriority
4
19
54
"I hope that I can help other carers in Ireland because everyone is struggling. We're all on our knees, we all need support and we're not getting it. We desperately need someone to see us." - @CarePlusIreland Carer of the Year Brenda O'Connell Barry speaking on @RTELateLateShow
1
24
51
We're calling on Govt to undertake an urgent review of Carer’s Allowance which should result in the abolition of the means-test and payment for work done based on needs. Pending this review, the weekly rate should increase to a min. of €325 per week. See:
4
12
49
“Sé was referred for an autism assessment three years ago – it hasn’t even been acknowledged. There is maybe one occupational therapy session per year. No speech & language for the 1st few years & then a block of 6 hours before he’s signed off the system."
4
24
49
Amazing to see such a positive reaction to David Brophy's #UnsungHeroes! Don't forget to tune in to @RTEOne next Wednesday at 9:35pm for part two as the choir of family carers take to the stage of the @NatOperaHouse to perform with @gavinjames, @JohnSpillane_ & @eleanormcevoy.
3
11
52
"It's a constant battle when you've a child with any sort of additional needs or children with additional needs. As soon as one battle is over, it's on to the next." Gillian Martyn, who cares for her 2 daughters who have autism & are non-verbal, speaking on #IrlAM. #familycarers
4
14
50
“Every single day when you get up you have to fight for everything. I swear to god, it’s like hitting your head off a brick wall. Ireland is not a good place to have a child with a disability. "
0
19
51
Govt must use #Budget2023 to begin to transform what's become an antiquated & paternalistic model of support for #familycarers into a mutual & equal partnership where carers are valued for their contribution, receive fair compensation & are not excluded from supports due to means
3
9
51
We're delighted to have worked with @MU_Sociology on an @_IHREC funded report calling for a non-means tested Family Carer’s Income Support which would be benchmarked & indexed to the cost of living to ensure adequacy. See #familycarers #CarersWeek2023
3
20
49
⏰Almost showtime!!⏰David Brophy's #UnsungHeroes on @RTEOne at 9:35pm will feature an amazing performance by the choir of carers in @NatOperaHouse with @gavinjames, @JohnSpillane_ and @eleanormcevoy. Don't miss it!! #carersweek #MakingCaringVisible #shinealight
4
11
53
“HSE & health admin staff are on the list, & they should be, but the reason they are is because they are helping to maintain the health system - so are we." Teena Gates highlighting the need to prioritise family carers for #Covid19 vaccines #carerscantwait
1
13
45
I don’t know how long I can do this because I am only human. every time I am feeling very tired, very bad or I feel like nearly dying I say ‘Stop thinking about yourself, think about your wife, think about your family because at the moment they need you’.
1
14
45
“We’re hanging in there like you wouldn’t believe. But I’m determined not to let Covid have the last say. If I were to be vaccinated it would make such a huge difference to all our lives.” #carerscantwait #WhoCaresForTheCarer
1
20
49
"Who will care if the family carer gets Covid?".
#WATCH Those caring for vulnerable family members are pleading with the Government to let them know when they'll receive a #Covid19 vaccine. @Hanelizaa has the story ⤵️. #VMNews | #COVID19ireland | #Vaccines
3
17
43
We have received confirmation from @welfare_ie that family carers working up to 18.5 hrs a week outside the home & in receipt of Carer’s Allowance can apply for the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment & will receive it should they lose employment due to #Covid19.
You can now apply online for the new #COVID19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment. To apply, visit and register using just your email address. For information on other #Covid_19 income supports visit
6
36
48
“We were so upset to see there was no mention of us on the last vaccination rollout list. We’ve been completely forgotten and we need people to listen to us now.” #carerscantwait #WhoCaresForTheCarer
2
13
43
The new Long-Term Carer Contributions scheme will make it easier for long-term #familycarers to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory) and we would encourage all full-time family carers to register their caring periods. For more information, see
Delighted to meet with @CarersIreland and to launch the register for long-term carers to qualify for a State pension for the first time. This is a really important step in recognition of the vital role our carers play. @welfare_ie
2
28
45
‘Urgent need’ for carers to get priority in Covid-19 jab rollout, Dáil hears #carerscantwait
3
17
44
"It’s soul-destroying having to fight day in, day out for services, equipment, therapies and medical appointments. It’s never-ending. The form-filling needs to end and things need to made easily accessible."
0
21
45
"Carers should be recognised not penalised… Here you have this person who sacrifices their life to care, often fulltime, for someone in need of that care & yet the system penalises them." FCI's Clare Duffy highlighting how family carers often have to fight the system for support
0
18
42
Our Emergency Care Plan booklet has been developed in response to #COVID19. The completed document will contain important information on the needs of the cared for person in the event that the primary family carer is unable to continue providing care.
0
27
45
“You don’t get to just be a Mum or Dad, you are also a carer. You have to order & administer medicine & supplies, keep track of any health & medical issues, try to do speech & language & physio with them, fill out paperwork constantly & fight for services.”
0
17
46
"When supports and services were curtailed or withdrawn, they [family carers] stepped up and their essential contribution to the national response needs be acknowledged. They must be vaccinated as a matter of urgency.
2
19
47
Family carer Moira Skelly, who cares for her daughter Ciara, will feature on @RTE_PrimeTime tonight to highlight the issue of family carers being excluded from priority groups for #Covid19 vaccination. Watch live from 9:35pm on @RTEOne. #rtept
0
8
42
“The role they’ve [family carers] played in keeping their loved ones safe and the impact on their own mental and financial wellbeing continues to be ignored."
2
14
45
Thinking of all #familycarers supporting loved ones with #rarediseases today. #RareDiseaseDay aims to raise awareness of patients, families and carers that are affected by rare diseases and secure more equitable access to diagnosis, treatment, care and social opportunity.
0
15
42
“There is a largely silent group of people who are struggling to manage paid work and caring for someone at home. At the moment, one in 10 people have a caring role outside work. By 2030, it will be one in five."
2
13
45
A massive thank you to our Young Carer Ambassadors @BbMrsbrownsboys and @paddyhoulihan from @MrsBrownsBoys who presented our young carers with their awards today.
2
3
42
"If I get Covid, Martin will be taken into care," said Sarah Gibson O'Gara. In that case, she said, he would end up in hospital and could potentially end up in ICU. "The worry is huge."
0
20
43
We are pleased to partner with @MentalHealthIrl to provide a five week online programme on Mental Health & Family Caring which aims is to support the supporters of people with mental health challenges. Further info & registration details can be found here:
0
24
41
"Some days the only thing that keeps us going is Fionn, his beautiful face, his smile, his big blue eyes, those long eyelashes & the promise of seeing him smile again." Family carer Brenda writing in @Independent_ie for #carersweek #MakeCaringVisible
1
13
41
As mentioned by @SimonHarrisTD, we are now providing free online/phone counselling to support family carers through #Covid19 & beyond. Please call 1800 24 07 24 to register your interest. #HoldFirm #InThisTogether #StaySafe
1
18
40
#Budget2021 was an opportunity for Govt to demonstrate commitment to family carers & honour commitments made in the PfG. Whilst there are a number of welcome measures in today’s announcement, it has not gone far enough to adequately support family carers.
5
26
41
"Family carers are under severe financial pressure. Shockingly, one in four family carers providing 50+ hours of care per week do not receive Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit because of the strict eligibility criteria."
0
24
36
“Since this pandemic started, we haven’t been offered any PPE or financial supports to help us to deal with this and our place in the vaccination schedule is just another kick to several bruises that we suffer on a regular basis." #carerscantwait
2
14
42
"I was overwhelmed with the amount of positive responses. I was never expecting anything of this magnitude to come out of it, it was just unreal." - Young carer and choir member Matthew McCartin on the reaction to David Brophy's #UnsungHeroes documentary
3
10
43
A motion by @Regional_Grp calling for an end to the Carer's Allowance means test has been passed in the Dáil after it went unopposed by Government. You can watch back the debate here (skip to 58:17): Read the motion in full here:
5
14
42
“If we are recognised on the list, I will feel appreciated, seen and heard. And once we get that vaccine, once I’m sitting on that chair, I will be so happy and relieved.” #carerscantwait #WhoCaresForTheCarer
0
17
39
"The lack of support services, limited access to respite care, extensive waiting lists for assessments and lack of future planning for residential care needs have become sources of immense frustration and distress for families."
0
25
38
"Care and caring should be at the centre of how we think about our culture, but it’s frequently treated as an afterthought or an aberration."
2
14
41
Congratulations to our five CarePlus Young Carers of the Year 2018!! . Well done to Sean Ryan (Leinster), Harry & Molly Flynn (Munster), Alanna Connolly (Connacht/Ulster) and Shauna Tighe (Dublin)!!
0
9
39
"We have to ask where is the recognition and acknowledgement for Ireland’s 500,000 #familycarers. Yet again they continue to be ignored – they are truly the forgotten frontline whose shift never ends." Read FCI's Catherine Cox's letter to @IrishTimesOpEd
2
15
40
All of us here at Family Carers Ireland would like to wish all of Ireland's 500,000+ family carers, their loved ones, our staff and every single person who supports our work a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
3
4
42
"These children [with disabilities] & their parents are now into their twelfth week of lockdown without the support, personal contact, therapeutic & medical assistance & the respite they need." - @OCO_ireland Niall Muldoon writing in @irishexaminer
3
25
38
“Someone asked me once how, do you manage? I said, I don’t know how not to manage. One of the things I find most difficult now is to find something to build my day around”. Johanne cared for Siobhan for 36 years before her sad passing August.
1
11
39