Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Cúram dár dtuismitheoirí agus dár sean-thuismitheoirí; an bhfuil aon rud níos tábhachtaí? Irish society knows well the value of caring for the older people in our society, the value of community and the right of everyone to live with dignity but those values are simply not reflected in the Government’s policies and actions on home care. That was evident from this morning's debate on the Labour Party motion on supports in the home-care sector. We know there are approximately 6,000 people across the country who are stuck on a waiting list for home support, having been assessed. That is no way to reward older people who have contributed to Irish society and our economy over their whole lives. They deserve care and support to live a happy and fulfilled life in their own homes. The State is supposed to care for its citizens but it is failing those who are denied access to care in their own homes - many of us know people who are in that position - and those who have been trapped in acute hospitals for over a year at a time due to delayed discharges, as revealed by Deputy Kelly just now.

This is due to the avoidable recruitment and retention crisis in the home-care sector. We would have expected to see drastic and radical action from the Government in budget 2024 to tackle this crisis, particularly with an ageing population and overcrowded hospitals, but that is not the path the Government chose with its health budget. Instead, it has frozen recruitment, which is extraordinary. Yet, some of the most important work in the country is provided by the unsung heroes, as Deputy Duncan Smith said, namely, those who work in the home-care sector providing care in people's homes. These workers are mostly women and are among the most undervalued professionals in our society. They are particularly undervalued when it comes to pay and conditions.

This year, under pressure, the hourly pay for healthcare support assistants in the private sector was increased. That is welcome but that move was funded by quietly cutting home support hours by 1.9 million hours this year. We might call that "robbing Peter to pay Paul" or, more appropriately, "robbing Patricia to pay Paula" because these workers are mostly women. There is no plan to ensure a living wage for these workers into the future and no plan to ensure the system will work for those who need care. It is simply not working. When an older person cannot be discharged from hospital or cannot access care at home, their health outcomes are affected. It is fundamentally unfair to older people and their friends and families. So often, I hear from people – again, mostly women – who are hit with the double whammy of caring for their children and their ageing parents, often while holding down a full-time job. These are women who are struggling and panicking and do not know how to keep the plates spinning. As long as the State services are not there, they will have no option but to keep them spinning. That is why the Labour Party brought a motion this morning calling on the Government to make real reforms to the home-care service system and ensure we will be able to cater for an ageing population and a workforce struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living. Instead of pressing the Government's whitewashing amendment to a vote this evening, will the Taoiseach accept the motion and work with us and others across the House to pay Ireland’s heroic home-care workers their worth, reverse the ridiculous embargo on recruitment and ensure that Ireland becomes a place where care is genuinely valued and older persons can receive the care they so desperately need in their homes?

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