Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy's comments. There is no point in us arguing over and back about the statistics. As the Minister alluded to previously, the number of hours has increased year-on-year, but there is also increased demand, which has resulted in a reduction in the number of available hours. There are too many disparities geographically, with greater availability in some places. We have to get to grips with this. I would like the service to be put on a statutory footing similar to the fair deal scheme. We spend €373 million on home help provision, which is a large budget. We can continue to increase it, but we need to put the service on a statutory footing with a level playing field. I agree with the Deputy that we need to make sure everybody can access the service because it represents better value for money and, more importantly, a better quality of life for elderly people who wish to remain in their own homes.

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