Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I wish to acknowledge his strong and impressive track record on the issue of carers and home helps for many years. As the Deputy noted, I had some experience of the Labour Court in a previous professional life. I was often - as I am sure he was - at the receiving end of its various recommendations, not all of which were favourable to those whom I was representing. I very much value the court and the industrial relations machinery of the State - both of which are important - and I would always encourage engagement with them.

I value the importance of the Labour Court and the industrial relations machinery of the State. I encourage all parties at all times to engage with those institutions.

My Department and the HSE recognise the importance of home help and home care in supporting older persons to live in their own homes and communities in accordance with Government policy. The HSE directly employs about 4,000 home helps. The number of hours worked by these staff varies according to service needs given that the home help service requires a unique set of arrangements to achieve the level of flexibility required.

The HSE has announced a reduction in the provision of home help hours as one of a number of measures required to address the current budget deficit, subject to home help services continuing to be available to those assessed as requiring them. A national contract of indefinite duration for home helps employed by the Health Service Executive was agreed in 2006 with the relevant trade union as part of the work of the high level group established to review home help services. The contracts of home help workers employed by the HSE have been the subject of further deliberation, including Labour Court consideration in the interim years.

As the Deputy mentioned, the terms and conditions of home helps employed by the HSE were covered by an agreement negotiated with the representative unions in 2009. On 29 June 2012, the Labour Court recommended that the HSE and SIPTU should engage on matters concerning home help contracts and in the event of there being any outstanding issues which could not be agreed that these would be referred back to the court. The HSE engaged with SIPTU and advised that as part of the process it would be undertaking an information-gathering exercise to ascertain the up-to-date position on the nature of the contracts held by home helps and the hours worked. This exercise is in train.

On 15 October 2012, having met with the parties again, the Labour Court recommended that the parties should re-engage under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission and that this process should be completed by 30 November 2012. To assist the parties the court has identified the following issues to be considered: mechanisms to define specified hours; a protocol to be followed where specified hours are not met; qualifications for re-deployment; the question of privatisation, the use of agency providers and the establishment of financial data.

I fully appreciate the difference that quality home care can make to individuals and their families. It is widely acknowledged, both in Ireland and internationally, that the home help service is one of the key services in the community care of older people. The Government will make every effort, despite significant resource pressures, to protect front-line home support services for vulnerable older people.

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