Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if he has made provision in the budgets being granted to health boards to pay benchmarking awards in respect of persons providing home help; if he has received reports from the health boards on the extent to which benchmarking awards have been paid to home help providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15297/04]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Provision was made for benchmarking payments to home helps in the parallel benchmarking agreement. My Department provided appropriate funding to the health boards to cover the outlay required for the implementation of this agreement this year in the letter of determination. Sanction for the payment of the initial phase of this agreement has already issued. The second phase of benchmarking is currently being verified in accordance with the provisions of Sustaining Progress. Sanction, if approved, will issue in the coming weeks. Responsibility for actual payments to home helps rests with each health board and to the voluntary agencies under their aegis.