Politics

Referendum defeats have given government lots of ‘food for thought’ - Paschal Donohoe

The public expenditure minister told the Business Post that care supports will be a very prominent part of the next budget

Paschal Donohoe: ‘I have no doubt at all that in the next and future budgets the issue of how we continue to support carers will be really prominent.’

The government didn’t make its case clearly enough ahead of last week’s family and care referendums and the wording failed to convince people, Paschal Donohoe has said.

The expenditure minister said support for carers would be “really prominent” in the next and future budgets, but said that “how we talk about and legally recognise care in our society” is more important than spending plans.

“It has given me a lot more food for thought at the moment, in relation to referenda,” Donohoe told the Business Post ahead of a series of meetings in Brussels.