Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The HSE is progressing a range of measures to improve its home care provision overall, to standardise services nationally and to promote access, quality and safety. For example, there is a procurement framework for home care services with quality and, most important, screening requirements applying to services procured by the HSE from external providers. A national tender system introduced in 2012 has been extended and the HSE proposes to tender again during 2014. The national guidelines for the standardised implementation of the home care package schemes have been introduced in parallel with the procurement framework. Following recent Labour Relations Commission recommendations on annualised contracts and minimum hours for home help staff directly employed by the HSE, new contracts will be operational with effect from April 2014. In accordance with the HSE operational plan for 2014, a review of home and community care will be undertaken. This will be of interest to the Deputy. An activity and resource review is to be completed by the second quarter. Service improvement initiatives are to be progressed between the second quarter and the fourth quarter and a review of models of service delivery, including the review of existing guidelines, will also be progressed throughout this year. I take the Deputy's point but the HSE is addressing these issues in an appropriate way and the legislation will be brought forward.

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