Over 10,000 unpaid carers in Donegal, demand has doubled over decade

Independent TD Thomas Pringle has warned unmet demand for home support is at an ‘all-time high’ and that most unpaid carers do not receive outside support.

"The majority of care provided in the home is undertaken informally by family members and others. In Donegal alone, there are almost 10,700 unpaid carers, which is 6 per cent of the country's population, compared to 5 per cent in 2015,” said Deputy Pringle.

Women were overrepresented among unpaid carers. Over a hundred unpaid carers in Donegal, meanwhile, were aged under 15.

“Like the rest of the country, females in the county are more likely to be carers than males, with 60% of all carers female. As it stands, 8 per cent of females in Donegal are carers and 5 per cent of males. There are 139 carers under 15 years of age providing regular unpaid care in Donegal,” said the Independent TD.

Over the past decade carers providing over 43 hours per week in Donegal has almost doubled.

“The period between 2015 and 2022 saw some notable increases in the hours of unpaid care provided. The number of carers in Donegal providing 43 or more hours of care per week almost doubled from 1,688 in 2016 to 3,324 in 2022.

“This number has more than doubled nationally. Almost two thirds of carers were aged between 40 and 64 years and 15 per cent were 65 years or over,” Deputy Pringle told TDs.