Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Aire Stáit for what was quite a detailed response. I know she speaks from the heart when she speaks on the issue. She is correct in terms of what she noted in the last 30 seconds of her time on the taking away of hours from people. I spoke of neighbours down the road whose families I know so well and whose hours are being taken away. The multidisciplinary teams make decisions on the number of hours families are entitled to but after four, five or six months, when someone is very ill, there seems to be a higher authority that is deciding to take away three, four or five of the hours.

A few things need to be done. Home care should be a statutory entitlement and not a discretionary one, although I know this all comes down to funding. Second, phase 2 of the carers' strategy needs to be properly funded and resourced and I am sure the Minister of State agrees. The next problem is that HIQA is closing down facilities but not replacing them with other facilities. If a nursing home is closed down in an area and it is not replaced, this will cause problems. Families, as a result, are not able to get respite for their loved ones, which is causing another problem because it is causing an awful lot of stress for family carers. I also wish to mention long-term care for adults with disabilities who have been cared for at home for most of their lives by their loved ones. Parents move on but their one worry is who will look after their child who has a disability. No facilities are available for those families. We must address that issue. Finally, the home care package is offering only 30 minutes to families, which is not sufficient to carry out safe care. The Minister of State knows that it takes a lot longer to do things when dealing with older people and people with disabilities. The amount of time being offered is very limited. I ask the Minister of State to take those points on board.

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