<p>
	Cuts to housing grants and respite care have been highlighted as particular challenges for people caring for a loved one at home.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Speaking at the launch of the National Carers&#39; Strategy today in Dublin spokesperson for the group, Catherine Cox, said funding cuts had been hard for their members and said that respite care support is very poor.&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	The group reported on the slow progress of the Government&#39;s National Carers&#39; Strategy, highlighting a 19% cut to the Respite Care Grant in 2012 and the halving of funding for Housing Grant Schemes.</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	The Department of Health has said it was always clear that the National Carers&#39; Strategy would be &quot;subject to constraints, particularly as it was framed in a time of great economic difficulty for the State.&quot;</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Although the State&#39;s financial position has improved, a spokesperson for the department said, &quot;significant challenges remain and resources generally are still under significant pressure.&quot;</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Adding, &ldquo;the strategy&#39;s mechanisms are still only properly bedding in, and it is important to allow time for that to bear fruit before any review would take place.&quot;</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	Meanwhile, the Department of Social Protection, which administers the Respite Care Grant said while a decision was taken to reduce the amount of the grant in Budget 2013, &quot;it is worth making the point that the rate of the Respite Care Grant at &euro;1,375 is still more than twice what it was in 2002 when it was &euro;635, and higher than it was in 2006 at the height of the economic boom, when it was &euro;1,200.&quot;</p>
<p>
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	While the Department of the Environment, which funds Housing Adaption Grants, said the overall spend last year was &euro;46.3 and the 2015 amount will increase by some 10% representing a spend of &euro;50.5 million.</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0519/702338-the-national-carers-strategy/">http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0519/702338-the-national-carers-strategy/</a></p>
