Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important to note it is wrong to say people are not being given home help support. We know many more such supports are being given but the demand is increasing with that. It is like so many areas across the health sector, where we are dramatically increasing funding and improving the quality of services while trying to deal with a significant increase in demand at the same time. It is happening in the disability sector, and although there are more disability services in Ireland than ever, there is also more demand. It is the same with hospital care and elderly care. Through the HSE service plans we must provide increased resources year after year to improve the quality of services, recognising the growth in demand that is there. Of course, we are trying to move away from acute care by investing more money in home care and primary healthcare services. This will allow people to get the supports they need while living in their communities in places like west Cork. We do not want families to have to travel many miles to visit loved ones in acute care, residential care or hospitals. We want them at home with the necessary supports provided by the HSE.

See this speech in context