John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support the call by my colleague, Senator Landy, for the Minister for Health to come into the House to clarify the position regarding home help hours. Prior to the last budget I made it clear that my support for the budget depended on whether the Minister restored the €8 million worth of home help hours to the HSE. I got assurances before the budget, and during the budget speech, that that had happened but I understand from reading various HSE service plans for counties that the number of hours being provided by the HSE currently is the same as the number provided after the cuts were made in 2012.

People whose home help hours were withdrawn in 2012 have not had them restored, and neither have home help service providers whose hours were cut in 2012. Either the money was restored to the HSE for the purpose of home help hours and was spent elsewhere or it was not restored. I support Senator Landy in requesting the Minister to come before the House to clarify which it is.