Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 91: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if figures can be provided to explain the discrepancy between Parliamentary Question No. 27 of 7 April 2004 and the Health Service Executive's business plan 2005 which shows a cutback of 2 million hours of home help in 2004 and to date in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35392/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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With reference to Parliamentary Question No. 27, note the 2004 figure of 8.9 million home help hours relates to projected figures for year end 2004. In some cases due to different recording mechanisms in different HSE areas some home help figures also incorporated home help hours inclusive of all disciplines, that is, mental health, disabilities, children and families.

The 6.9 million home help hours figure in the 2005 national service plan section for older people, which referred to activity for last year and this year, relates only to older persons and, therefore, that figure and the 8.9 million are not comparable. Also, the HSE on examining the figures in the national service plan 2005 realised that the 6.9 million was understated by 665,821 hours and the national figure should be more than 7.5 million for this year for older persons.

Given that there have been difficulties in collating information nationally the necessary revisions are being made to systems and procedures by the HSE to ensure that routine information can be produced which verifies for the purposes of public accountability and management decision-making the level of home help service delivered on an ongoing basis.