Mr. Michael Harty:

I thank the Chairman and the members for the invitation to appear before them to outline how Home and Community Care Ireland, HCCI, believes Government could use the upcoming budget to make better use of existing resources to generate employment and provide the best quality of care to the maximum number of older people.
Home and Community Care Ireland, HCCI, is a national organisation representing 25 private home care providers employing over 6,000 staff in every town, county and rural location in Ireland and contributing over €36 million to the Irish economy each year. HCCI's primary objective is to promote the highest professional standards of care in the home and client choice, in a cost effective manner. Providing care to over 8,500 clients in their own homes throughout Ireland, the HCCI is playing an important role in the development of the home care sector – an integral part of the Government’s stated policy of developing the primary care sector.
In light of Ireland’s rapidly expanding population of those over the age of 65, recent pressure on home care budgets, lack of regulation, questions over the quality of care provision, and the shortage of funds due to an artificial division of what is seen as separate services for older people, HCCI calls on the Government to, first, amalgamate budgets for care of older personsto ensure that people are directed to the appropriate level of care and that people can stay in their homes for as long as possible with potential savings of €69 million in 2015 alone; second, establish more open and transparent commissioning of home care servicesnot provided directly by the HSE, with an end to section 39 allocated funding, through a national tender to achieve a further savings of €48 million in 2015; third, safeguard jobs and maintain home care as an affordable option for all, including those in need of care 24 hours a day, seven days a week; fourth, reform social welfare regulations to incentivise people to take on work in the home care sector; fifth, we call on the Government to double the existing €50,000 ceiling for tax relief for home care; and sixth, extend the IT 47 definition of incapacitation to include home care requirements as a result of old age or infirmity.

HCCI is aware of the difficult economic climate and the clamour for funds from all sectors of society and wishes to be a constructive partner to Government. We have devoted considerable resources to compiling a business case for the future of home care and to identify savings that could be accrued through the more efficient use of existing funds. We call on the Government to use budget 2015 to explore these options to ensure sufficient resources to look after our ageing demographic, while also seizing the opportunity to stimulate employment with the potential for up to 8,000 new jobs by incentivising people who wish to work in the home care sector. I look forward to answering any questions in the question and answer session to follow.