I wish to raise with the Tánaiste the failure of the HSE to provide home help for elderly people to stay in their homes. I have raised this several times already this year. People are being approved but still there is no home help arriving. It is a natural desire for elderly people to want to stay in their homes. Elderly people in places such as Killarney, Rathmore, Headfort, Kilcummin, Curragh, Castleisland and Killorglin are waiting for extra hours and some of them that do not have any home help at all are waiting for the home help to materialise. They are finding they have to go into hospital more often and it is a disaster. I ask the Tánaiste what is happening. I have been promised by the Taoiseach that it was being sorted out. It is still not sorted out. Is the Government paying the home helpers enough? Is it covering the extra costs for travelling out to houses? I know one woman whose daughter has cancer and is begging and hoping to get home help to help her to keep her mother at home. I ask the Government to do something.

I appreciate the problems that we face in providing home help for people who need it. As the Deputy says, it is a vital service. It keeps people out of hospitals. It makes considerable sense that we fund it well and, indeed, we do, but there is a shortage of people willing to work in the area. Among issues being examined at present by the Minister is whether we need to improve pay or mileage rates to encourage people who might be willing to work a few more hours per week to provide that service.