163 Deputy Bernard Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive will define the standardised approach for the allocation of home help hours and specifically the meaning in terms of the client of the impact on the availability of necessary hours; in terms of the HSE home help employees, the way the standardisation will affect their terms and conditions and or contract of employment; in terms of the private providers, if there are limits on hours available to clients through provision of hours delivered by direct HSE home helps; and if these limits will be mirrored by restrictions on funding allocated to private providers who deliver care services on behalf of the HSE. [21384/10]

I regret that due to industrial action I am not in a position to provide a substantive response to your Parliamentary Question. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course.