Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Minister of State's work and assistance in this area. However, Deputy Ó Cuív is right. We have gone the full circle. There are families and people across the country for whom we could not get home help hours for a long time because the resources were not available. Now the hours are available, but we do not have the people. Families are being left in appalling situations. Loved ones are being left in hospitals, unable to leave, because we cannot get home care workers. They are available internationally. We require a system with flexibility whereby families can get their loved ones cared for at home through some type of change to the work permits system. This is very urgent. There are thousands of people and families awaiting home care at present who cannot get it due to the lack of staff.

See this speech in context