Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The next issue is home help and care assistants. In the Cork-Kerry region there was a decrease in the number of people working for the HSE. It went from 1,800 people about 15 to 18 months ago down to 1,400. That is a drop of 400 people. Where are we now with the numbers available to provide home care, particularly as we have a growing number who require it and increasing demands? There is also the added issue of many people preferring not to have to go into nursing homes. I understand there was a recruitment campaign organised in the Cork region and 96 were recruited, but that does not replace the number previously employed who have left the region.