The Taoiseach has today opened a centre in Co Offaly that will provide training and relaxation facilities for family carers.
The Carers' Association’s new purpose-built resource centre and national office in Tullamore will provide supports for local carers and serve as the national centre for the organisation.
The facility, which has a fully equipped training room for family carers, will expand its local based training programmes to help family carers provide the best care possible, reduce the risk of injury to carers and help them cope with the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of caring.
The new resource centre also provides a relaxation facility where family carers, prone to burn-out due to their full-time caring work, can de-stress and take some much needed time-out.
Staff at the new centre will provide advice and information on supports and allowances available to carers as well as financial and service support to the organisation's 16 resource centres around the country.
Set up in 1987, the organisation has grown from a staff of one person to almost 300 employees who work to support family carers through in-home respite service, advocacy, information provision and training.
Over the next two years, the Carers' Association plans to run 700 courses across the country training over 10,000 family carers nationwide.
Speaking today, chief executive of the Carers' Association Enda Egan said: “Family carers dedicate their lives to providing full time, often round the clock, care for their loved ones. Many make huge sacrifices to provide care in the home and we are delighted to open our new resource centre in Tullamore to meet the needs of our family carers, locally and nationally.
"However committed and determined to care for family members, the reality is carers need to take regular breaks or face the very real danger of burn-out and illness."