Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Here we go again. We were at this point at this stage last year. There was a crisis in home care then and here we are again with another such crisis. What part of home care and community services does the Minister of State not understand? Does he not understand that the best way to provide care for older people is in their own homes? They are happiest there. It is widely recognised that they do best from a health perspective when they are in their own homes. The Minister of State, however, does not seem to have got that message, nor does his senior Minister.

This was outlined very clearly in Sláintecare. The whole thrust of the Sláintecare approach is to ensure that services are provided locally, as close to home as possible. Nowhere is that more true than in respect of services for older people. Nowhere is that more true than in respect of what gets good health outcomes and what represents best value for money with regard to services for older people. At any one time there are now more than 600 people in acute hospital beds who should not be there, who have finished their acute period of care, and who are ready to go to a step-down facility or to go home. They cannot do that however, because there is no funding for it.

The Minister of State should look at the economics of this situation. An average home care package costs €160 per week. The average nursing home costs approximately €1,100 to €1,200 per week. The average acute hospital bed costs in excess of €7,000 per week. This is not rocket science. It is about doing the things that make sense and which achieve the best health outcomes, which ensure people are happiest, and which save money at the same time. Why is it that the Minister of State is not doing this? Let us look at the 600 people who are in acute hospital beds. Deputy Pringle spelt out very clearly why this is allowed to continue; it is because savings are made in hospitals.

9 o’clock

Consultants do not need to do operations if beds are taken up by people who are just there on a bed-and-breakfast basis, but the Minister of State will not challenge that and grasp that nettle.

At any one time more than 6,000 people, who are in their own homes and have been approved for a set number of hours of home care even though the bar is set quite high, are on a waiting list. That makes no sense on any level and it is about time the Minister of State sorted out the problem.

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