Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate our colleague Senator Ruane on her latest television appearance. It is becoming something of a regular occurrence at this stage. She is getting better all the time. Well done to her.

I wish to raise two serious health matters which are related, in a sense. The first is the CAMHS waiting list for the children's mental health services, which I raised with the Leader when she was Deputy Leader. She empathised on that occasion and assured me she would follow it up. I would like it to be followed up again. It is important that the waiting list be shortened or be virtually non-existent and that there is a comprehensive service. Will the Leader respond to that? It may merit a discussion with the Minister in the House.

I also wish to raise another health matter of a different kind, which is very serious. People are granted home helps, who, like carers, are vital to keeping people out of institutions and hospitals. Not only is it a great human response and the correct human response, it makes good economics as well. Home help hours are being granted to people but those people are not receiving the home help hours simply because home helps are not available. They are not available because we are not making a career of being a home help. I suggest that, rather than agencies being brought in, there should be a core of people working in each community health area as full-time home helps who are properly paid, pensioned and trained.They should be available to provide a core home help service. We are currently using agencies, at great expense, and not enough hours are being provided. People are going back to institutions or not getting out of them. There is a host of reasons necessitating what I propose and they will not be lost on the Leader. I would like a positive response to this and possibly a debate on it. I would certainly like a response from the Minister.