Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I must say at the outset that I am specifically talking about situations where the people who are being cared for are in day care, in a training centre or in school. I accept that the amount of hours per week has been increased. I welcome it and supported the Minister's predecessor, former Deputy Regina Doherty, on moving it from 15 hours per week up to 18.5 hours a week. That is to be commended. The Minister says the reason for doing that is to ensure the care recipient's requirement for full-time care is balanced against the carer's need to maintain contact with the workforce. Two other schemes from the Minister's Department, the community employment, CE, scheme and the rural social scheme, specify that the minimum number of hours that people need to be engaged within the workforce or in training in order to maintain that connection is 19.5 hours per week. As such, at a very minimum should that threshold not be increased to a minimum of 19.5 hours, where it does not have an impact on the care being provided?

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