Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)

It is across the spectrum and there are different areas. As regards the Deputy's area of CHO 8, the additional hours provided to March 2025 were 434 in terms of people waiting. The total number of people waiting was 791. At the end of December 2024, that number was 932. We have seen a reduction of 141 in the number of people waiting. This is a positive. At the end of December 2024, then, the figure for people waiting was 932, while at the end of March 2025 it was 791. This is an improvement of 141 people, which is a 15% improvement. In terms of the number of people receiving home care support packages in CHO 8, there were 9,113 at the end of March 2025. This was an improvement from March 2024, when the figure was 8,137. This was an increase of 676 people, which equals 8%. We are always seeking to improve the system and deliver. There are two elements here. There are people who have existing hours and need more and there are people who need new services.

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