Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 12 December 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Home Care Services: Discussion

11:20 am

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is very difficult for people working in home care, very often on very low rates of pay, to be told on the one hand they have never had it so good and that the economy is booming, and on the other hand that the shillings are not there. It is about priorities. It is very difficult for someone on a very low income to hear about a proposal on tax cuts when the proposal for a modest increase for those on low pay is not entertained. It comes down to priorities. What we hear at the committee time and time again is people, not with extravagant pay demands, who never look for tax cuts, talking about a crisis in recruitment, exactly as has been outlined for us today. The issue is one of priorities. We know how high the health spend is. Often, it is very tough for those who are on the lowest pay to advocate, in particular home care workers, who are very much isolated although they are a big part of the health service.

It is also a fact that home care providers who work for private agencies are competing with the need for the private agency to make a profit. However, I do not think it is fair to say we have people coming in endlessly looking for money. They are not looking for large amounts of money. There is an element of having to prioritise. I would like to see the case for increased home care prioritised because it is a really good value for money service.

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