Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Since being elected to the House, I have always been an advocate for the home help services. I see at first hand the great work they carry out throughout west Cork. I met a large number of home help workers in Clonakilty last week. To say they are frustrated is an understatement. They work long, poorly regulated hours. They aid Clonakilty home help, which serves areas east of Rosscarbery, such as Ardfield and Timoleague, to the Bandon boundary but, for whatever reasons, they are not getting their new contracts. This is different from the home helps in other surrounding areas who are working under better conditions with their new contracts. The workers are pleading with their bosses for the new contracts only to be fobbed off continuously. These home helps deserve better, as do the people of Clonakilty. The workers I met are so frustrated they said they would issue strike action in the new year. Will the Tánaiste communicate to the HSE this wrong being done to so many good, genuine home help workers in the Clonakilty area? Will he get the HSE to give them their long-awaited contracts?

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