Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I raise a very serious health issue, namely, the lack of proper provision of home care hours for our elderly people, particularly in rural Ireland, with counties Kerry and Cork having the longest waiting lists of elderly people seeking to avail of the home care package. The number of older people in the country waiting on these hours stands at 5,556, of whom, astonishingly, 1,018 are in the Kerry and Cork areas. That is unreal.

Alarming figures show that the number of over 65s has increased by 41% to 833,000 people since 2013. Even more astonishing is that the number of over 65s is projected to double by 2051. It is critical, therefore, that waiting lists are taken seriously. A recent report by Home and Community Care Ireland shows that waiting lists in rural Ireland are rising. As stated, counties Kerry and Cork have 1,018 people waiting. Counties Limerick, Clare, Galway and Mayo have a combined waiting list approaching 1,000 people. The biggest increase in the number of older people in need of home care - 30% - has been in counties Cavan, Donegal, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Sligo and Westmeath, where the HSE has rationed its home support hours.

Waiting lists in Dublin were below ten people in each month of 2024, which shows the urban-rural divide in the provision of home care hours. That is astonishing.The programme for Government commits to supporting older people to stay at home and in their community by providing more homecare hours for rural Ireland. We are faced by family members every week on the lack of homecare hours for their loved ones. I am calling on the Minister to debate on the floor of the Seanad this very serious issue which could get out of control.