Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise an issue in a non-political way and to put on record my grave concern and that of my party at the manner in which the proposed inquiry into the death of Savita Halappanavar is proceeding. All of us would be concerned that Mr. Halappanavar has said that he will not engage with the HSE investigation. That must be taken on board by the Minister for Health. We had a situation yesterday where three of the Galway medics were stood down. I am not impugning their reputations in any way but I believe they should not have been selected. The decision was made by the Minister to stand them down and that is fine. However, this inquiry will not go any further and will not get to the nub of the matter without the co-operation of the family.

I will say nothing more on the issue now except to ask the Acting Leader to raise our grave concerns with the Minister. A way forward must be found. We agree that we need to get to the truth as quickly as possible but we need the co-operation of Mr. Halappanavar and Savita's family, who have lost a wife and daughter. I ask the Acting Leader to raise our concerns with the Minister for Health directly.

On numerous occasions in this House over the last five weeks I have raised the issue of the home help cuts. I have received no answer that is sufficient. The only answer I have received to date asserts that both Government parties are committed to providing health care services to people in their homes. If the Government was so committed it would not have cut 950,000 hours from the system.

I am sure everyone on the other side of the House has received representations regarding the arbitrary cuts to the numbers of home help hours. I have dealt with numerous such cases. Two weeks ago in Swords I met 320 home help workers who did not know what was going on. Cases are not being properly assessed before cuts are made across the board. When I raise an issue, I am told an assessment will be carried out. I previously described the example of an 88 year old double amputee who had had his hours cut. When I raised his case with the HSE, I was told it would assess him, with the result that his hours were restored. If savings are to be sought in this area, a proper assessment of clients is required. This is happening all over the country. Will the Acting Leader and her Labour Party colleagues give a commitment that there will be no further cuts to home help or home care packages in the forthcoming budget? Will they also commit to ensuring the 450,000 hours cut at the end of August will be restored? Assessments should be conducted on the basis of need rather than as an accounting exercise aimed at saving ¤8 million. It makes no sense. The more people who lose home help hours, the more will end up in hospitals where they neither want to be nor need to go.