Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has said a number of times tonight that no hours will be cut. I live in the real world, and what will happen is that there will be a new method of assessment of people for home help hours and, whether the Minister of State wants to call it a cut or a new method of assessment, people will end up with fewer home help hours. That is what will happen in the real world. It is as clear as night follows day that this decision on the part of the HSE, far from saving any money, will cost money. Has the HSE given the Minister of State a report showing the overall breakdown and the rationale for this decision, including the costs associated with it? If he has such a report, has he signed off on it?

We know from hospital nurses that agency staff are significantly more costly than HSE-employed staff. How much of the overall home help budget goes towards paying private operators?

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