Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It had a huge impact last year in terms of reducing the number of people waiting for home care packages. There is a critical skills and ineligible occupations list review of sectors of the economy that we need to liberalise in terms of getting work permits and so on. The review has not so far recommended the removal of the occupation of care workers or home carers from the ineligible occupations list. The issue is that we have to work with those who are providing these services in terms of the conditions and improve them. The big concern at the moment is the issue of securing enough people to work in the service itself.

To be fair, the Minister responsible secured additional resources in the budgets last year and this year. The issue is securing enough people to work in the service. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is working now in terms of engaging with the stakeholders involved on all sides and looking at the workforce challenges in terms of home support and nursing homes. It is a critical issue for those who need the care. It is also a critical issue for hospitals in terms of the alleviation of pressure on them and flow through the hospitals. As a result of the additional hours last year, the flow through the hospitals last November and December was very efficient and effective and had a clear impact. The issue is skills shortage.

I am not disagreeing with the Deputy. We do have to look at terms and conditions in respect of home care workers and the Minister is working with a workforce advisory group to engage and deal with those challenges and improve on them because, across the board, caring is an area that does need to be improved and enhanced.

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