Family Carers Ireland announces transformative collaboration with Eli Lilly to support carers

FAMILY Carers Ireland, the national charity supporting over 500,000 family carers in Ireland, is collaborating with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), a global leader in healthcare innovation based in Raheen, to deliver critical supports to family carers across the country. This transformative multi-year initiative includes a financial contribution of €750,000.

Family carers provide vital support in the home to loved ones living with additional needs, chronic illnesses, disabilities, or age-related conditions, often under significant financial, emotional, and physical strain. The funding will enable expanded respite services, activities for carers, and the development of a volunteer program, alongside enhancements to the charity’s IT infrastructure and work to increase awareness of the vital contribution family carers make to Irish society.

As part of the collaboration, Lilly employees across the company’s three Irish sites - manufacturing plants in Kinsale and Limerick and a Global Business Solutions Centre in Little Island, and its commercial team based around the country, will contribute their time and expertise through volunteering, directly supporting FCI’s initiatives and family carers in their local communities.

Family carers across Ireland provide an estimated 19 million hours of unpaid care every week, saving the State approximately €20 billion annually. Despite their indispensable role, many carers continue to grapple with insufficient supports, financial strain, and emotional exhaustion. Family Carers Ireland works to ensure these contributions do not go unnoticed, supporting family carers and young carers through the provision of free emergency care planning, counselling, wellbeing support, crisis management, respite, and peer support groups.

In its 2024 report, 'The State of Caring,' Family Carers Ireland revealed that 72% of carers have never received respite. Additionally, nearly 70% of carers find it difficult to make ends meet, and over a third report that their accommodation does not meet the needs of the person they care for.

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Tara Tibbs, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Lilly’s Kinsale manufacturing site, emphasised the significance of this initiative:

"We are driven by a commitment to make life better—not just through the medicines we create, but by making a genuine difference in the communities we serve.

“Lilly Ireland is really proud to collaborate with Family Carers Ireland on this initiative, giving us the opportunity to directly support the people who dedicate themselves to caring for their loved ones. We are excited to get stuck in and hopefully enrich the fantastic work Family Carers Ireland already does.”

Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy at Family Carers Ireland, shared her appreciation for the support: "Family carers play an essential role in our society, often providing care at great personal sacrifice. Lilly’s generous support will allow us to improve our services, raise awareness of the challenges carers face, and offer them opportunities for respite and community engagement."

Family Carers Ireland provides a range of services designed to meet carers’ diverse individual needs, including peer support groups, education programs, respite services, and emergency planning assistance. Through their national Freephone Careline, in person and online resources, they work tirelessly to support family carers to care safely and with confidence.