Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We can say we are always looking to increase the level of funding that has gone into home care, but it has increased to €838 million from a base of just over €400 million in 2020. It is such that between 58,000 and 60,000 people are receiving the service. The key thing is that, since last December, we have seen a significant reduction in the numbers. Deputy Gould might want to bring me the particular human case he spoke about because there is a huge human factor here. I am obviously engaging with the officials and with the HSE. Furthermore, I will meet again with the HSE on the particular matter to see what we can do to make further improvements to reduce the numbers on the waiting lists. It is fair to say there has been significant investment in the area, certainly over the past five years. It is my role to see if we can improve delivery of the service for people who have existing hours and are looking for additional hours and for people who need a new service. There is a key focus on people coming out of hospitals who have that acute need.

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