I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business on the home help service. Most Members of the House have been attending meetings. Senator Kelly and I attended a public meeting on Monday night organised by SIPTU in Hannon's Hotel in Roscommon town. We heard from home help workers who are helping and serving many people in the community. Fianna Fáil has a very proud record in this regard in that we established the home help concept. When I was a member of the health board, being a home help went from being a voluntary part-time job to being a full-time job, albeit not well paid. Although it is one of the least paid jobs in the HSE services, it provides a vital service. It is galling that in the general election campaign Fine Gael and the Labour Party promised to maintain, develop and expand home help services. It is another broken promise, which we know is a regular event. In this regard, there is no reason to cut the amount involved because it is approximately €8 million. The Government is now trying to save another 500,000 hours, which just will not work.

One carer was looking after two elderly persons for one and a half hours and had to change and prepare them and do everything else. They outlined the position. It is pretty galling when they know that so many who have received massive handouts in pensions are getting away without bearing the burden. In the circumstances, I strongly recommend to my colleagues on the opposite side that they ensure funding will be restored because they will pay the price at the next general election and local elections. The trouble is that the elderly are paying the price. That is the tragedy of the matter.

I support calls by my colleagues, Senators Darragh O'Brien and Leyden, on the issue of home help services. We attended a meeting on Monday night last in Roscommon where home helps were reduced to tears trying to explain the bonds that they have created with the elderly with whom they have worked for years, being deprived of hours of home help and how it is affecting the elderly.

I appreciate what Senator Leyden stated, namely, that Fianna Fáil has a proud record. I made the point at that meeting that five or six years ago we should have been worried about this issue because we were down to talking about home help minutes when the Senator's party was in government and now the issue has come to a head. We do not have a vote on budgetary matters.

Is the Senator looking for a debate on this issue?

I have a question. We do not have a vote on budgetary matters, but we are aware that it makes no economic sense whatsoever to take such persons out of their homes and put them into hospital. I need to know whether there are economists advising the Ministers making these decisions on budget day.

There are other issues. Children who have ADHD are being deprived domiciliary care allowance because the medical profession does not recognise the disease ADHD, even though, as those who watched "Prime Time" last week will be aware, it is harrowing to see what families are going through to look after children who have this ailment. I ask the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Reilly, the importance of this issue when it comes to budget day and that there be no cuts. Whereas I support Senator Darragh O'Brien's call on this issue, I do not support his call for an amendment to the Order of Business because he will be aware that the Minister will not come here to discuss budgetary matters with him in advance of the budget.

It is about home help.