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

I will. I am quite happy to do so. I would prefer if I could answer one question at a time without interruption.

The figure is just a fact concerning the crisis about which everybody is talking. I am not proud that there are 6,000 people unhappy and waiting, but there were more waiting this time last year. However, that is not the point I wanted to make. To answer the Deputy's question, the difference between CHOs is multifactorial. The management approach is part of it. There is a demographic aspect; there are historical reasons and there is the issue of the availability of staff. Myriad reasons can affect demand and supply. I am anxious to engage with the nine CHOs together to identify some shared practices for dealing with this issue.

Every hospital and home help allocator has been notified that priority is to be given to hospital discharges. It is one of the top three priorities. A person waiting to get out of hospital is prioritised over somebody at home, if required, for available resources. There is tiering in the arrangement.

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