Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to again raise the lack of funding and staff to provide an adequate home help service in Kerry, which has been promised. I have raised this issue since I came into this House over two years ago. All that people are getting when they reach 80 or 85 years of age is five hours a week. Is this fair? There are 168 hours in the week and to be given just five hours a week is miserly. They get no home help on Saturdays, Sundays or bank holidays. I do not think the Taoiseach is listening to us at all when we raise this issue. It is not fair. People can get into nursing homes but that is not where elderly people want to finish up. They would like to stay as long as possible in their homes. I ask the Government to make more funding available to the home help service and to provide more staff.

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