South Down MLA Colin McGrath has said that more needs to be done to support the 220,000+ carers living in Northern Ireland.
Mr McGrath’s comments come after a report from Carers NI which stated that carers are reaching ‘breaking point’ as they struggle to get any time at all away from their caring responsibilities.
“The findings of the State of Caring in Northern Ireland 2017 report show a situation that is totally unfair for carers. It is unacceptable that nearly a third of unpaid carers have not received a day away from caring in over a year, and 21% haven’t had a day off in over five years.
“I fully support the Carers NI’s statement that we need key decision-makers to work together if we are to ensure that some much needed legislation and support is put in place for the hundreds of thousands of carers in the North.
“Therefore, we need our power-sharing institutions restored as soon as possible to help this overworked and under-appreciated sector in our society.”
If there are any carers out there who need support, they can check out the South Eastern HSC Trust website at:
www.setrust.hscni.net/services/CarersInformation.htm
or phone their local Citizen’s Advice office.
