Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

As on 9 July, the Minister of State has given no really relevant information on the question I asked. At that time the Department refused to tell me that it was to cut home help support hours and it has since cut them by 10,476 hours in County Donegal. The Minister of State has failed to say whether there will be cuts.

I can pick up two elements from this. When the service plan is given to the Department, will the Minister forward to me the details on the number of home help support hours for Donegal? I believe the Department will follow the greatest fear I have, which relates to third-party service delivery. This is the privatisation of home help supports and there is no doubt that is on the agenda because it has been confirmed to us by senior members of the HSE in Donegal. I will resist that and fight the Department tooth and nail on it.

There are 800 people in Donegal providing an absolutely fantastic service to many patients in the communities which demand this work. They cannot be treated in the way they have been. The Department has already breached contracts by its actions last year and it is despicable how they have been treated. I ask the Minister of State to review the position and enter into proper dialogue with the unions to ensure we will not see home help workers and the HSE facing off in the coming months.