Mr. Pat Healy:

The points made by Deputy Alan Kelly on home help are noted. For the information of the committee, we are making progress on the issue of trying to ensure the hours individuals are employed are meaningful in terms of being a full day or a full week. The history has been of a large number of people with a small number of hours, perhaps ten or 20. We engaged with the unions last year and it was agreed that as people leave our employment and we recruit home helps, we match them to full-time employment. Good progress is being made on the issue Deputy Kelly raised. We are on a good trajectory. It would help in increasing the availability of staff. On the point about incentivisation, we will work with the Department and Minister on any initiatives on that front.