Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy will be aware, the policy of the Department of Health and Children on the development and delivery of services for older people is to maintain them in dignity and independence at home for as long as possible in accordance with their wishes, as expressed in many research studies. It aims to restore to independence at home those older people who become ill or dependent and to encourage and support the care of older people in their community by family, neighbours and voluntary bodies. The role of the home help service is vital to the implementation of this policy.

Following the publication in 1998 of the report entitled The Future Organisation of the Home Help Service in Ireland by the National Council on Ageing and Older People, I am pleased to say that there has been a major step forward in the implementation of the home help scheme from 1999 onwards with the service being provided to an increasing number of older people.

The aim of the home help service is to enable people to remain at home, where appropriate, who would otherwise need to be cared for in residential care. It is recognised that the service is an essential support to family and informal carers. The HSE southern area has advised that the total number of home help hours provided in Kerry in recent years is as follows. In 2002 some 789,011 hours were provided. In 2003, the hours provided came to 701,216. In 2004, some 683,296 hours were provided and the projected hours for 2005 come to 720,000 hours.

See this speech in context