Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is not the first time I have raised the issue of home care hours being approved but not provided. In a lot of cases not enough hours are provided to clients. One lady in my constituency currently going through cancer was approved home care support months ago but she has yet to receive that care. Care availability remains an issue. It has been highlighted for years but not dealt with. There is a lack of staff who want to take up the role of a caregiver due to the poor pay and the poor travel expenses in between calls is a factor that turns care givers away from taking up the role with private companies. In some cases where caregivers work weekends, they do up to 15 calls in one day while running and racing between calls. If they ring in sick, cover becomes impossible to get.

What is the point of approving home care support if there is nobody there to do it? It is totally unacceptable that home care hours that have been approved are not being fulfilled and an intervention form the Government is needed to ensure that home care providers can offer fair pay and travel expenses that will act as an incentive people who want to take up the role as a caregiver. The Government also needs to ensure that if companies are receiving increases, the increases staff receive should be monitored to ensure they are being paid fairly for the work they do and are retained by these services.

It appears the Government is driving people into nursing homes and see older people and people with disabilities as a burden on the State. This should not be the case. Hospitals are overcrowded and as caregivers cannot be found by providers, many people with approved home care hours cannot be discharged from these hospitals. The Government needs to listen to the caregivers, take note of what they are saying and support them. Home carers, who are providing care for family or friends, have been easing the pressure on home care providers and on the State, yet half of these home carers have to pay privately for services that should be publicly provided to support their caring role. We need a relaxation of the carer's allowance means test. These people are saving the State a fortune by caring for their loved ones and keeping them at home.

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