Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)

I raise the issue of pressure on home care workers. The demand for home care services is increasing daily. Every day there is somebody on my phone looking for additional hours. We have an ageing population, we are all getting older, nobody is getting any younger, and that puts increased demand on home care services. Working conditions are challenging and every house is different. You come up against different problems. Carers are very compassionate and want to spend time with the person, but they are not getting the right hours. Most people get about 30 minutes and that is barely time for a carer to get the basics done.

We need to get more qualified people working as care workers. We need to get the services going better. I know, from them having spoken to me, that there are people, for example, who have to travel from Bruckless to Donegal town. Carers spend more time on the road than they do looking after people. Tackling this would also free up hospital beds, because people are happier at home. I would be happier at home. In a rural community in Donegal, the carer coming in may be the only person an individual sees in the day. There are people isolated up there. The postman no longer goes up and knocks at the door; there is a box at the bottom of the lane. The carer coming in may be the only person a person might see for the whole day. Therefore, we need to refocus on the home care package.