Home help crisis
Deputy Butler raised the pressure on home help services, warning that thousands were waiting and that cuts could worsen the situation. The Minister said the matter had already been agreed for discussion on Thursday and that individual questions could be addressed then.
The home help crisis is hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Currently, there are 6,310 people waiting for home care supports and 53,000 in receipt of supports. One in ten people who need these supports to ensure they can stay at home safely and securely for as long as possible is not receiving these vital hours. We heard recently that no further packages would be provided to deal with costs incurred from travel expenses until November. I need the Minister for Health to clarify exactly how many people will be affected by the proposed cuts. There is no doubt that any reduction in hours will push an already stretched service to the brink.
Comment on this
We have agreed to talk about this on Thursday. I am happy to take questions from individual Members to address direct questions. That might be the most productive way of dealing with this issue. I trust that is okay with the Deputy.
