Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The average cost per hour of a home help is €23.20 according to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. In the not-for-profit and directly-employed home care arena, we would get that hour for approximately €17 so what is pushing up the price is the private home care providers. Deputy Bríd Smith is right: people in global multinational corporations can afford to pay for prime-time advertising space on radio and television because they are getting money from the State and making a massive profit. Prior to being elected, I represented home helps. We concluded a deal on their hours in order to put a bit of a floor on it and ensure that they had some continuity. This is not being utilised to the greatest possible extent. There are home helps directly employed and working for the not-for-profit organisations who cannot access additional hours. We could remove the barrier on those organisations providing extra hours where clients might have a few bob to supplement it themselves. The Government put a stop to that and I would like to see it come back and for more emphasis to be put on directly employed and not-for-profit home care. I will put it to the Minister of State in terms he might understand - it is the best value for money for the public purse.

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