Mr. Ed Murphy:

In response to a question from Deputy O'Connell, approximately 94% of carers are females. The HCCI is one of the private providers working with the HSE. We work for people who come to us privately, as many providers do, and we also do work on behalf of the HSE. In our case, approximately 40% of our work is done privately. Like Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Healy, I would not know what other providers pay, be they not-for-profit, voluntary or HSE providers. The HCCI recently carried out a survey of its providers nationwide. The rate of pay within our company is €13.80 per hour.