I am glad the Minister is taking this question, because it concerns an area where we know the cost but not the value. I refer to home care hours. This is a crisis all over the country, but I am going to focus on Galway. The battle there is a twin crisis. The first aspect is to get enough hours allocated. When hours are allocated, however, there are no home carers. The Minister may not have this before him, but certainly the Taoiseach and many other people, including all the TDs in the area have. Most unusually, a doctor in Connemara has put his thoughts on paper to tell us he is seriously worried about the situation. One example concerned someone with dementia, who had no care hours allocated. On top of that, there is serious concern about the son who is looking after that person. This is just one example.

We absolutely appreciate the value of home care and the difference it makes to those families who need this support at difficult times when they are vulnerable. The Department of Health has allocated a large additional budget to provide more home help hours. As the Deputy may be aware, the challenge we are facing is in recruiting the staff needed to provide this care. I will have to follow up on the specific matter the Deputy raised concerning her city and constituency to be able to give her the answer that is deserved concerning this local issue.