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Mon 11 Nov 2002Who cares about the carers?There are an estimated 200,000 carers in the Republic working around the clock to nurse family members with health problems, according to new research. They have often given up jobs, have no social life and little support from the health services.Frank Fahey, the Minister of State with responsibility for Labour Affairs, wants to know why more of the 531,000 women working in the home will not join the workforce. OK, Frank. You want to know just one of the reasons? An estimated 200,000 people - 95 per cent of them women - are carers, working 24-hour days to nurse children and adults with health problems, according to research by the Irish Red Cross. The adult population is about 2.5 million, which means that nearly one in 10 people - and close to one in five adult women - are carers.