Home help shortages
Deputies from Kerry and Laois-Offaly complain that elderly people are waiting for home help and that funding is insufficient. The Minister says he cannot direct the HSE for individual cases but promises additional resources, including 18 million home help hours and a fair distribution of extra hours.
I call Deputy Danny Healy-Rae on the programme for Government. I ask him to put a question and not make a statement.
Comment on this
On the programme for Government, this Government promised that it would assist people to remain in their homes for as long as possible through home help service provision. However, in Kerry, for a person to get home help another person must die. Why is it that Kerry has been without funding for the provision of home help services since last May? The wife of an elderly man of 92 years of age was on Radio Kerry over three days pleading for home help services for him. I made representations on behalf of an 87 year old woman and I was told that someone would have to die before she would get services. Why is funding not being provided for home help service provision in Kerry?
Comment on this
There is a serious problem across the country. I am very aware of the problem in Laois-Offaly where, I am told, owing to budget restraints, no more home help hours can be allocated. It is stated in the programme for Government that this Government is committed to supporting our elderly people, yet they are not being given even a few hours of home help. I ask the Minister to intervene urgently, in particular in Laois-Offaly where there is a terrible situation in regard to home help hours.
Comment on this
I thank Deputy Nolan for her brevity. I call Deputy Michael Healy-Rae on the same issue.
Comment on this
It is not right or fair that the wife of a 92 year old man has to go on Radio Kerry to plead with the Minister to provide him with home help so that he can come home. It is a disgrace, it is wrong and I ask the Minister please to do something about it.
Comment on this
The law that this House passes prohibits me, as Minister for Health, from directing the HSE to provide a service to any individual. However, we have a job to do in terms of the provision of adequate resources. We are funding 18 million home help hours this year. We have provided more funding between now and the end of the year through the winter plan and we will be providing 1 million additional home care hours in 2020. I will specifically ensure that in regard to Laois-Offaly and Kerry there is a fair distribution of those hours.