Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I want to ask the Tánaiste about the long-promised statutory right to home care. This was promised in 2018. It was supposed to be in place by 2021. Two years later, there is no sign of the legislation. The advisory group recommended improved pay and conditions for the staff, who are very badly paid. Over the summer, the Government cynically agreed to pay those new rates and improve the conditions but at the cost of older people who depend on these services. Very cynically, the Government took almost 2 million hours out of the allocation for this year meaning that older people are paying the price for this and the Government is doing nothing at all for the over 6,000 people who are on waiting lists. The Government has disimproved the situation from the point of view of older people who are dependent on this and it is incentivising people to go into nursing homes rather than stay at home. When will we see that legislation and why has it been so delayed?

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