Supporting family carers across Ireland
Project Report
This report outlines the development and impact of SETU’s initiative to support family carers across Ireland.
Family carers make an invaluable contribution to Irish society. They provide essential care to adults and children with additional needs, people living with chronic illness, mental health challenges or addiction, frail older people, and those requiring palliative care. Their work significantly reduces the cost of care to the State while sustaining families and communities nationwide.
Family Carers Ireland (2020) estimate that carers provide 19 million hours of unpaid care every week, saving the State approximately €20 billion annually. In Ireland, over 500,000 people identify as family carers.
Building on the success of a co-created Level 6 Certificate in Family Caring, developed in partnership with Family Carers Ireland, SETU subsequently secured €1 million in Higher Education Authority (HEA) Systems Performance funding to support the expansion of this initiative from 2022 to 2025.
The expansion has included:
Delivery of certificate courses to 490 family carers
Establishment of a Caring Employer Programme within SETU
Creation and delivery of a Young Carers Transition to Higher Education Programme
Delivery of 60 masterclasses to family carers
A national showcase event