Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to home help for the west Wicklow area, if the regular person is not available at short notice or on holidays; the position in relation to a replacement person; if there is a list of replacement people available to stand in or if there is a shortage of people; if there is a shortage, if it is due to a lack of funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11017/07]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Home Help Service provides personal, social and practical care to meet a person's needs within their community. This service is an essential component of a wider range of community services which support families and informal carers. It makes a critical contribution in the prevention of unnecessary admissions and facilitation of early discharge from the Acute Sector. It also contributes to the avoidance and/or delaying admission to long term and continuing care. The Home Help Service by its nature is a flexible service, which responds to clients needs and assists them to remain living in their own homes independently with dignity and a good quality of life.

Home Helps are replaced to vulnerable clients during annual leave and short term sick leave. In certain circumstances it may not be possible to replace the regular Home Help at short notice due to existing service demands. In these situations every effort will be made to provide alternatives such as access to respite day service or increase in Home Care Attendant hours. The replacement of existing home care provision due to leave absence is provided for within current funding arrangements.

The provision of home help services in the West Wicklow area is a matter for the Health Service Executive. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to respond to the particular issues raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.