I wish to raise a matter of unfairness and the non-delivery of vital services in Kerry. I refer to cataracts. It is neither fair nor right that people of all ages have to wait for two or three years for a procedure. I will outline a couple of examples to the House. An 85-year old man, who is perfect in every way and is caring for his wife, needs a car to go to a shop and bring himself and his wife to mass but can no longer drive because he has been waiting over 18 months for an operation. He feels it would not be safe for him to drive and his car has been parked in a field. A 70-year old man who has had a disability for over 40 years had to sell the only thing he had in the world, his vintage car, for €4,500. He had been waiting for a year and a half for an operation and could not bear the fact that he could not see the television and watch the nine o'clock news and some other programmes. He is living alone and had to sell his vintage car to have an operation privately in order to restore his sight back to a reasonable level. A 62-year old man had to give up work because he was waiting for over two years to get one eye operated on. He now believes he has lost his sight in the second eye and is very depressed. That is what is happening with regard to cataracts in Kerry.

Teenagers have to wait four or five years for orthodontic treatment. Girls, in particular, are too embarrassed to socialise and are only barely able to go to school or college. In many cases they have lost their confidence. When treatment is carried out at the age of 17 or 18 years of age their gums are tough and the procedure is not as successful as it would be if carried out sooner.

We do not have nearly enough funding for home help. Few people, if any, get home help at weekends. This weekend was a long weekend due to the public holiday on Monday and, therefore, people went for three days without home help.

The people I am talking about do not get better at the weekend. They do not rise like Lazarus and go to a function or a ball because they are still in the same fix on Saturday and Sunday as they were on the other five days of the week. They need proper funding to be seen at weekends also. Many of these people are living alone and do not have any family. The Government has five ministerial office holders in the Department of Health and gave €950 million more to the HSE this year, or so it says, but things have not improved in these three areas. I ask the Government to do something about these situations which are not fair to vulnerable people.

Deputy Healy-Rae raises three valid questions on cataracts, orthodontics and home help hours. He knows some of the people involved and that is why he is raising them. This is not confined to County Kerry and these challenges face the health service generally throughout the country. In respect of cataracts and orthodontic treatment, decisions are made by people who are qualified to make decisions as to when operations should be carried out. It is not good to have people living on their own or otherwise who do not have the opportunity to look at television or read the local newspaper or whatever. However, there have been improvements in the cataract situation.

There have not.

The Minister has pointed out on a number of occasions in the House in reply to questions from Deputies Danny Healy-Rae and Michael Healy-Rae the improvements that have been made and the areas where cataract operations are being carried out in other hospitals also. We will get the figures for County Kerry for the information of Deputy Healy-Rae to see what the improvement there has been.

We have the figures.

The situation in respect of orthodontic treatment is nothing new. Issues of delay, in particular for young people who can be very sensitive about orthodontic requirements, arises every couple of years. All the orthodontic decisions are made by qualified orthodontists. The extensive waiting lists of the past have been reduced and there is a difference where it is a matter of carrying out a non-orthodontic but urgent dental procedure. The HSE has made inroads into the general orthodontic situation that applies nationally and we will get the figures for County Kerry for Deputy Healy-Rae.

Extra money has been allocated for home help and extra hours are being worked. It is a matter for the director of services in the Kerry area to define for the Deputy what extra help, if any, is being given in respect of home help. The overall allocation has increased and the number of hours has increased. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae is right to say that it is not good that somebody is left over a long weekend without attention but in general home help hours form part of a process of looking after people who are on their own and also need to be looked after by their broader families. In many cases, a roster is worked out of which home help is an essential part. Again, the information will be provided to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae as to the general situation for home help hours in County Kerry.

I do not want any more figures. I know what is happening on the ground. The people of Kerry are just as entitled to their sight as those from any other part of the country. We told the Taoiseach about the Sligo model where someone who presents with a need for regular treatment will be seen in six weeks. If it is more serious, they will be seen after that in 12 weeks and if it is more serious again, they will be seen after six weeks. Why can we not have that model in Cork and Kerry? Deputy Michael Healy-Rae has raised this several times and it must be more of a problem in Kerry because I do not hear Deputies from any other part of the country bringing it up.

Home help hours are not being provided on Saturday and Sunday and I do not want any more figures from the Taoiseach on that. They did not get hours on the bank holiday Monday just gone and they have not got them on any other bank holiday Monday, which is not fair.

The Taoiseach states it is up to the local manager, but local managers tell us they do not have the funding. There is a Minister and four Ministers of State with responsibility for health. Get them to check it out and see what is happening. Money has been given to the HSE but we are not seeing results. The Government and Ministers with responsibility for health should ensure these services are given to the people fairly and that they are looked after properly.

The Deputy mentioned three people, namely, an 85 year old man, a 70 year old and a 62 year old. They are all people whom the Deputy knows, which is why he is raising the cases. The figures are very important. It is true to say the moneys given to the health Vote this year are higher than ever before, and responsibility for this has been transferred back into the Department for Health so transparency and accountability can follow. I do not know whether the Deputy has met the director of services for home help in Kerry and asked whether the service is aware of the situation whereby people have been left at weekends without home help. I also do not know whether the Deputy has met the medical personnel dealing with the waiting list for cataract operations in Kerry and pointed out the Sligo model. These are all qualified medical people who make decisions on these matters. Yes, there has been a waiting list, and there should not be, and it is not right that people cannot watch their favourite television programme or read their local paper, but the situation has improved and I will send the Deputy the figures. We will bring to the attention of the medically qualified people in Kerry who deal with orthodontics the success of the Sligo model, but they know this already.