Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I thank Deputy Wall for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to outline the situation regarding the payment of arrears due to home helps for travel expenses in the Kildare and west Wicklow area.

I am advised by the HSE that the home helps in Kildare and west Wicklow are employed by Eastern Community Works. I understand the delay in payment in this case is due to technical difficulties in processing payments. Work is ongoing to rectify these difficulties and information regarding outstanding claims is currently being gathered. Staff affected can be assured that payments will be made as soon as possible, once these difficulties have been resolved.

It is our policy that services for older people should be developed and delivered in a such a way that enables them to be maintained at home with dignity and independence for as long as possible in accordance with their wishes, as expressed in many research studies. Those older people who become ill or dependent should be restored to a level of independence at home. The role of family, neighbours and voluntary bodies in caring for older people in their own community is also to be supported and actively encouraged. The home help service is vital to the implementation of this policy. The aim of the home help service is to enable people to remain at home, where appropriate, who might otherwise need to be cared for in residential care. It is recognised that the home help service is an essential support to family and informal carers.

On the specific area of home help services, an additional €33 million was given in 2006 which funded an extra 1.75 million home help hours. This was augmented by a further €18 million in 2007 which resulted in 780,000 extra hours coming on stream. The 2008 budget includes a further €4.6 million in additional expenditure by the HSE for 200,000 extra home help hours this year. The executive expects to provide a total of around 11.98 million home help hours nationally in 2008.

As part of the HSE's ongoing transformation programme there is a move to the provision of care in the community — primary care — and this is being supported by the introduction of primary care teams throughout the country. Primary care teams should be the first access point for persons who need to access the health system. It is intended that they will facilitate people's access into, through and out of the system and ensure quality care is provided in a manner that maximises the convenience for patient and clients. Home helps will form a vital part of these teams.

In preparation for this new role the HSE, SIPTU and IMPACT established a high level group in 2006 to review the existing models of home help service with a view to establishing a standardised high quality service that would benefit both clientele and staff. A high level report was produced by this group in June 2007 and agreed by all parties. These improvements will help to ensure clients will receive the same high level of service wherever they are located in the country, as well as meaning the staff and their valuable work are given the appropriate recognition and reward.

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