Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 148: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the recent home helps protest; the cost of meeting the demands of home helps for a guaranteed income and proper contract of work; her plans to do same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16896/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I fully appreciate the valuable role played by the home help service in enabling people who might otherwise need institutional care to remain in their own homes. However the rate of pay and the conditions of employment for home helps have been very significantly improved since 2000.

I am advised that the appropriate hours of care for clients requiring home help services are determined following a clinical assessment. I have ensured that significant additional funding has been provided to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for home help services this year. An additional €33 million full year cost was allocated to the Home Help programme in Budget 2006 (€30 million of which will be for 2006 with the remaining €3 million in 2007), which will enable the HSE to provide an additional 1.75 million hours nationally in 2006. The additional resource will further enhance the service and facilitate the expressed wish of many more older people to continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible.

A comprehensive collective Agreement between health employers and SIPTU (on behalf of home helps) was finalised in 2000 regarding the terms and conditions for employment of home helps. This Agreement provided for a very significant improvement in the pay and conditions for employment for home helps. Home helps are paid in accordance with the agreed pay scale i.e. €25,590 — €28,451 per annum, or pro rata thereof for part-time staff. Home helps receive the benefits of all social partnership pay increases together with special increases under benchmarking. In addition, home helps receive the same benefits as all other staff in the health services which include premia pay, paid annual leave and paid sick leave.

I am aware that a High Level Group has been established, with representatives from the Health Service Executive and staff representatives from SIPTU and IMPACT, to address issues pertaining to the standardisation of home help services. The group held its first meeting on 23 March last and further meetings are scheduled. I understand that the group will be carrying out a detailed evaluation of outstanding issues including, for example, average hours worked since January 2001 and the aim is to have this work completed within a three month timeframe.