Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Home care is one of the most essential parts of looking after the well-being, mental health and welfare of our treasured older citizens and those living with disabilities.

Many people who require this service are coming out of hospital. Coming out of hospital is a very worrying time for anyone, but doubly so for older people who may be facing mobility challenges. It is proven that home support is the best way back to independence. The elderly fully deserve this service at their time of need.

I take this opportunity to mention the families of individuals waiting for home support too. For them, home support comes as a lifeline, a time for respite when they can be reassured that their loved ones are getting the care they need in a safe and professional manner.

I have spoken about the desperately long waiting lists for home support in County Wexford in this Chamber on many occasions. At the start of this year, there were 644 families waiting for new home support services and 227 waiting for increased provision in County Wexford alone.

The waiting list figures for home support services in County Wexford are so dire that a review had to be conducted at the end of last year. I tried to get my hands on that review with little success but eventually succeeded in securing a copy through freedom of information. The main finding of the review is that the fundamental issue is staffing. This is not a surprise considering low wages, ever-changing working conditions and the current cost-of-living crisis. This is why I support the motion in the strongest manner possible, specifically the calls for career pathways and a workforce planning group with fair employment standards and proper remuneration benefits that match the valued work the home support workers provide. We need a pay agreement for the sector with direct Government regulation and intervention. The Government must appoint a commission on care to modernise social care arrangements.

I ask the Minister of State to follow up on the review conducted in County Wexford. Recommendations were to be implemented throughout 2022. What is the update on this? What actions have been taken or are being implemented in Wexford? The Minister of State has a long way to go to get home support services up to standard. The comprehensive motion outlines how we can get there. I urge every Deputy in the House to support this excellent motion and act quickly on the issue of home support services.

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