Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the very important issue of home care support assistants in County Kerry. I will explain what happens. The Taoiseach will know of the excellent work these home care assistants do in our communities taking care of people who want to stay in their own homes. They get paid travelling expenses for going to people's homes. Some use one or two full tanks of diesel or petrol every week in doing their work. They get paid retrospectively. In other words, they should get November's money this December. They have been told, however, that the administrative staff in the HSE who do the paperwork that would allow them to be paid their November travel expenses in December will not be there to do that work. In other parts of the country, home care assistants will be paid this expense. By the time January comes, these people will have incurred the costs of all their travel in November and December without receiving €1 for it. That is wrong. They have spent that money. There is wear and tear on their vehicles. It is a very important issue.

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