Ms Frances Spillane:

Perhaps I could clarify that the average cost of direct home help service provided by the HSE is in the region of €20 per hour. However, the actual cost of delivery varies depending on whether the hours are delivered during core times from Monday to Friday or outside of core hours in the late evenings or at weekends and bank holidays. There is a mix of direct service provision and external provision. The HSE estimates that the average cost of home care is just under €24 per hour as per the briefing we have received. That is as much detail as we were able to get.