Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Question 481: To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Health Service Executive has informed a client that it cannot provide or increase their home help hours until hours are freed up by another client and that this position is unlikely to change by the end of the year; if he finds it acceptable that elderly persons in need of home help should have to wait until another client is deceased in order that they can get home help; his view on whether this is an acceptable policy in the provision of community care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29715/11]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Government policy is to support older people to live at home and in their communities for as long as possible. This is realised through a range of community based supports provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE), including home help, home care packages, meals-on-wheels, and day / respite care.

There has been no reduction in the overall funding to the Executive for the home help service for 2011, compared to last year. As per the HSE Service Plan agreed for the current year, the Executive is committed to providing nearly 12 million home help hours nationally, to around 54,000 clients. It is a matter for the Executive, which has operational responsibility to provide the service nationally, to manage the service at local or individual level. Applicants are prioritised by the Executive, which targets services at clients with a high level of dependency, in accordance with their assessed needs and available resources.

It is not necessarily the case that an existing recipient has to die before a service is made available to an approved applicant. Factors such as changing personal, family, or care circumstances are taken into account in respect of prioritising those waiting to receive home help.

I am not familiar with the particular case raised by the Deputy, but if he wishes to forward the relevant details to me I will follow up the matter with the HSE.