Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to raise the issue of the scandalous waiting lists for home help supports in counties Longford and Westmeath. Over 200 people are on these waiting lists. All new applications are put on a waiting list straight away, with the only exception being 3.5 hours per week provided to somebody at the end of his or her life. The qualifying criterion is that it can be specified within a number of weeks when that person is going to die. No home help hours are recycled. When someone passes away, those remaining hours do not even come back into the system. The decisions are being taken by non-clinicians. Accordingly, there is no reflection on the medical need of the applicants whatsoever.

I am dealing with the case of a lady who is 77 years of age and living on her own. She has been given medical approval for an additional five hours of home help. She has fallen twice and ended in hospital on both occasions as a result. Her nearest relative lives in Canada. She has no help or assistance. She is deemed medically in need but she is not getting help.

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