Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Of course the aim of the Government is to ensure that older people remain in their own communities. That is the most sensible and cost-effective solution and also the one which offers the best outcome for individuals. Unfortunately, however, we find ourselves in very straitened circumstances. We will have to make our case very trenchantly in the negotiations leading up to the budget in order to ensure those concerned have the types of supports they need.

It is important to note that figures relating to home care packages can fluctuate, and for very good reasons. We are talking about an enhanced home care package system and there are times when the provision for an individual will need to be further enhanced and other times when it can be reduced. This is the beauty of a home care package, that it is operated on a continuous-assessment basis. More than 10 million home help hours are being provided this year. The number of clients benefiting is 50,000, a reduction of approximately 900 persons. We have no choice but to take a serious look at how we manage the service into the future. There is ongoing research into how we can best maintain supports for older people and others who benefit from home help hours and home care packages.

See this speech in context