Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

——is a member of the party which let phase 2 stand idle for over a year without providing a cent to open it. Whatever about being seen, I would certainly not be heard.

The importance of the home help service cannot be over-stressed. It was designed and is working as a measure to ensure that people who want to live in their own homes, that is, the elderly, have an opportunity of doing so. Having dealt with elderly people over many years in the profession in which I worked, I am aware that most people, even though they often live in adverse circumstances, will opt to remain in their own homes. As a consequence of that desire, this Government has increased the home help allocation ten-fold in the past eight years. That indicates a clear commitment on the part of the Government and the Minister to devolve to this important section of our community that they are serious about it.

A number of services are provided by the home helps. Starting with household tasks, they do general housework duties which include lighting fires, bringing in fuel, bed making and, where proposed by the public health nurse, prepare food. They also provide shopping services for the elderly and in many cases they accompany the elderly on shopping trips. That is very important, being of therapeutic value to the elderly person. Moreover, in the past those concerned were very often cast in the role of the good neighbour. However, things have changed, and the good neighbour is not only important but must be remunerated appropriately, the reason being that many people who provide home help services are mortgage-holders. It is important that they provide such a service to bring in a few extra euros to pay the mortgage. The work therefore has a twofold benefit.

The second reason is personal care, which involves getting elderly people out of bed and dressed, washing, bathing, showering and toileting them. In certain cases, it will also involve continence care, which is extremely important. I remember when I was working with the Midland Health Board and a survey was conducted by a nurse into the level of continence or incontinence, as one might also put it. It was of great service at the time. Not only did it deal with incontinence; it also helped bring about continence in some cases.

The service also still supports young families in crisis. In families with multiple births, the home help service has stepped into the breach. Single parents are also under stress, and as everyone knows, they now account for a very large percentage of new births. Families of elderly relatives who wish to go on a break are another client group. The fact that personal care is not necessarily related to the means-tested service has tended to be ignored. Household tasks are another important service. Home help organisers and home helps in general need training, since, as I have said, the "good neighbour" aspect of the home help service has almost disappeared. Apart from being there to provide that tremendous service, people now need the money.

One issue has been relevant since 1999. There has been a tenfold increase in money provided for home help services, but there are still several questions to address regarding home help organisers. We must also examine another matter. Some home helps have gone far beyond their role in assisting old people in their homes, stepping into the breach in many areas. I say this to the Minister and to all sides of the House. The home help service is tremendous, having been improved. Further improvements are necessary. I would not be naive enough to say that it is a utopia. There is no question that the service provided is unrivalled, but it must be further developed. It is accepted that those working in it need more training, since the circumstances in which they work and make themselves available have changed. We must deal with change as it arises. I commend the amendment to the House.