John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)

As I said in my opening statement, budget 2026 will increase the number of hours provided for home support to 26.7 million, which is significantly more than what was provided in 2025. Nonetheless, I acknowledge the points the Deputy has raised. The Minister of State with responsibility for older persons and housing, Deputy O'Donnell, is committed to ensuring that where there are gaps in provision, including in County Clare as the Deputy has pointed out, they will be addressed through the national service plan which the HSE will bring forward. There is no question that areas of rural Ireland should not be disadvantaged in terms of home support - or any other service for that matter - that is provided by the State. Where there are disproportionate waiting lists in certain parts of the country, we are committed to addressing that through the HSE service plan, which the HSE is responsible for bringing forward. It is the Government's responsibility to ensure the funding is put in place and it is the HSE's responsibility to ensure that adequate provision is provided across the country to ensure people can remain in their homes, as is their requirement, and to ensure we free up capacity within acute settings as well. I will take the points the Deputy has made back to the Minister for Health.

See this speech in context