Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

Last week I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of the inability to recruit and retain staff in homecare services. Since then, several people have contacted me. I wish to put their stories on the record of the Dáil because it is really important. A woman rang me who is a healthcare worker. She said her mother lives with her. She is 89 years old and has advanced Alzheimer's. She has been in receipt of a HSE homecare package approved in May 2017, delivered via the private agency Care for Me. On 8 September 2021, the HSE allocation received a 14-day withdrawal notice of all care to her mother from Care for Me agency. At no time did the agency indicate it to her. She said she was informed by the HSE on 10 September of the notice. Care for Me did provide a certain amount of care in that time but last week it announced that all care had been withdrawn. She was given a list of private homecare providers to source and pay for herself. There is a crisis. What is the Government doing about it? Something has to be done for these people immediately and in the longer term.

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