Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. There are two sides to this issue. One is about providing home care, which is a major challenge we now face. Home care providers have told me they cannot get people to work because if they employ them for three hours a day for five days a week, they will get no allowance of any description. They have said that if it was an hours-based system, they could get a lot more people into their labour market. There is an actual net saving for the Department as well because instead of making social welfare payments for five days a week, it would only be paying for three days. It is a particular scheme the Department should look at based on people providing home care. It is to encourage people into that area where we have a shortage of workers and a growing demand for care.