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

The Minister published the report on 15 October. It contains 16 key recommendations which will be progressed immediately via a dedicated implementation group. In 2021, some 20.4 million hours were provided, which is about 2.9 million more hours than in 2020. There was a 17% increase in one year between 2020 and 2021. That has created challenges. Some 14.2 million hours were delivered between this January and August, which is a further increase of 7% on 2021. That has created significant issues. As I said yesterday, the number of people now waiting for home supports has decreased, but I take the Deputy's point about making sure that we streamline in a positive way the terms and conditions under which people work in the private home care setting.

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