Victor Boyhan: Urges Support for Family Carers' Nine-Pillar Plan
Victor Boyhan spoke in the Seanad after Senator Clifford-Leach to highlight transport and planning concerns and to present the nine pillars set out by Family Carers Ireland during a meeting at Boswell's Hotel. He urged colleagues to advocate for the organisation's pre-budget 2027 proposals and to raise them in parliamentary party meetings.
Response to Senator Clifford-Leach
Victor Boyhan acknowledged Senator Clifford-Leach's points on local transport challenges, the tunnel and the cap at Dublin Airport. He noted the upcoming Planning and Development Bill 2026 as an opportunity to address transport and housing bottlenecks raised by members.
Meeting with Family Carers Ireland
Boyhan described meeting Family Carers Ireland at Boswell's Hotel and meeting Councillor Richie Malloy. He summarised the organisation's nine asks, which together contain 54 specific proposals aimed at improving supports for family carers across Ireland.
The nine pillars outlined
The speech lists the nine pillars: a fair and adequate income for carers; abolition of the carers allowance means test; a right to respite; a fully funded care guarantee; delivery of a statutory home support scheme; prioritised support for children with additional needs; housing, transport and climate justice; support for family carers in paid employment; and improved planning and assisted decision-making.
Call for cross-party advocacy
Boyhan urged colleagues from all parts of the house to advocate for the Family Carers Ireland pre-budget proposals ahead of Budget 2027 and to raise the measures in their party meetings. He underlined that resourcing remains the central challenge but that many proposals are achievable and would create a more equitable and responsive care system.
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Thank you Comhairle. Well I suppose I have to respond to Senator Clifford-Leach. She gave a great plug there from Rush, the lovely coastal swimming place of Rush. I'm not quite sure how I would go or how I'd recommend people to go but you know in terms of what the difficulties you've now outlined in relation to your constituents and the transport of the tunnel and last week you highly articulated issues and concerns in relation to the cap in Dublin airport so clearly there's a bottleneck in terms of transport out there but I do agree with you Senator on a more serious note. The issues in relation to the tunnel is a challenge but you know there are challenges too with housing and transport because we will have an opportunity with the planning development bill 2026 tomorrow and we'll have an opportunity to discuss those issues but I think it's a very valid point and I support you on it. Comhairleach and leader I just want to talk briefly on the building a caring society. The family carers of Ireland are in Boswell's hotel this morning and there I met councillor Richie Malloy who's a colleague of mine from Clonmel and indeed a colleague of yours leader and I suppose what was really interesting there were key asks and I think it's really important when you have a presentation by an organisation is particularly as important as the family carers Ireland and there are six there are nine asks and I'm going to set them out here. A fair and adequate income for carers, the abolition of the carers allowance means test and that shouldn't come as any surprise to those in government who spoke and have committed themselves to doing something about it but nothing's happened yet. Three, a right to a spite. Four, full funded care guarantee. Five, the delivery of statutory home support scheme. Six, the prioritising of support for children with additional needs. Seven, the delivery of housing transport and climate justice. Eight, support for family carers in paid employment. I think that's an important point to make. And nine, further planning and assist decision making and I suppose in all of these nine pillars encompasses 54 specific proposals aimed at improving the lives of family carers and those who care for them. Family carers Ireland believes that most of the 54 specific proposals in their pre-budget 2027 proposal can be achieved. I personally believe that the FCI proposals provide a roadmap for creating more equitable and more sustainable and a more responsive care system for family carers. I would ask that my colleagues across all parts of this house would advocate for the measures outlined in the family carers budget 2027 and perhaps raise it this evening if you're parliamentary party meetings. But I don't doubt people's commitment and behind all of this of course is resourcing but I think it's a really really important issue and I hope that we will articulate and advocate for these nine pillars for family carers Ireland. you
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