The Carers Association is Ireland's national voluntary organisation for and of family carers in the home. Family carers provide high levels of care to a range of people including frail older people, people with severe disabilities, the terminally ill and children with special needs.

The Association was established in 1987 to lobby and advocate on behalf of carers. While the government has begun to initiate some services for carers, we believe that the vast majority of Ireland's family carers still remain without vital services. These services, such as in-home respite, are essential to family carers. They allows us to continue in our roles as family carers, thus implementing government policy to care for people in their own homes for as long as possible.