Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Okay. That then is going to happen and I thank the Minister of State for the clarity on that. I thank him also for the clarity on highlighting that it is not just a shortage or workers, which it is, because nationwide there are 5,322 people approved for home support but with no carer available. In Galway there are 278 persons on a waiting list and in the region, that is the community healthcare organisation, CHO2 region, there are 698 persons on a waiting list. Clearly, we have a problem of not enough carers. It is very significant the Minister of State has highlighted that it is not just a shortage but that the reason for same is the bad conditions. Part-time work suits an awful lot of people but it cannot be precarious. Thus, we have a significant problem here. I have a question for the Minister of State, as his Department is on the cross-Department strategic workforce advisory group. What is the gender breakdown of that group by the way, given we are talking about work that is dominated by females in precarious positions?

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