Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On page 86 of the programme for Government the Government promised that it would introduce a uniform homecare service in order that all recipients could receive quality support seven days a week, where possible. The reality is completely different. For example, one constituent of mine who suffers from a lifelong condition and is wheelchair bound was hospitalised earlier this year with kidney and lung problems. He was ready to be discharged over a month ago, but he cannot leave the acute hospital owing to a lack of home help hours and now risks picking up hospital acquired infections, while his acute hospital bed is badly needed for other patients. Another constituent suffers from motor neurone disease and urgently needs additional home help hours, but he cannot get them. In the budget the Government promised an extra 1 million home help hours, but the experts reliably inform us that there is a need for over 4 million extra hours to clear the backlog. Will the Government take urgent steps to clear it?

See this speech in context