Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

A Leas-Chathaoirligh, thank you for selecting this important matter. The Minister of State is welcome. I know he will not be surprised when I say I would be happier if the line Minister, either the Minister for Health or the Minister of State with responsibility for this issue, was here but I have no doubt he will relay to them the seriousness of this situation. Basically, I am asking that the Minister for Health immediately require the HSE and the CHO area 2 to address and make right the delays that have been experienced by people who have been approved home care packages, but to date have not received them.

A far as I can ascertain, this is going on since May. Quite a number of families and constituents have been in contact with me who are a terrible situation. What has happened is that people have been approved as needing home care and needing the support to live in their homes. They have been sent a letter saying they have been approved, but that they are on a waiting list. That is not much good to somebody who is in a hospital, taking up a bed and who is fit to be discharged. That is the case in Ballina, Swinford and Belmullet district hospitals, which to a greater or lesser extent operate as step-down facilities for Mayo University Hospital, which is an acute hospital. That is adding to delays in patients being discharged from Mayo University Hospital and is at great expense to the State.

We gave a commitment to people, and it is aspiration of our Government, that those who want to stay at home should be supported in their bid to do so. That is not happening here and it is unacceptable. How long will these patients have to wait with a letter in their hand? How long will they have to be taking up hospital beds or are we directing them into nursing homes? That would appear to be the only other option, that they go into a nursing home. Hard-pressed families are trying to cope with a situation where it has been clearly identified that help is needed.

We are half way through the year. How can the budget be spent? How can they be told there are no resources when we are only half way though the year? If nothing else, I would like a clear answer to the following question. How has the budget for CHO area 2 been spent? It is being divided between Mayo, Roscommon and Galway. What is the priority? What home care packages are being provided and when will more resources be given? How is the HSE managing the situation?

I raise this matter as a last resort. I have been raising cases since the beginning of May on behalf of individuals who are stuck and are in terrible situations. It is not on as far as I am concerned.

This is not the first time this has happened. It happened about a year or 18 months ago. What was revealed at that time was that the money was being spent on University Hospital Galway, UHG. Nobody needs to be a genius to know that UHG is in the news every other day for its trolley count. Priority is being given to shifting patients off trolleys and moving them on from beds within UHG to the detriment of Mayo patients. Mayo has one of the most aged populations in the country. Our aged and older people need care. This is not on and I would like to get some answers today about what the HSE is not providing. I would like somebody in the HSE to be held to account for what is going on.I am a public representative. Public representatives should be entitled to information in a timely manner so at least constituents can know some answers are being given within a system. I have no confidence in the way things are being conducted at the moment in the area I live in.