Vol. 474 No. 6
112 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed as home helps in each health board area; the rate of pay per hour in each health board area; and the maximum number of hours allowed each week per home help. [3695/97]
Limerick East): The salary scale for full-time home helps with effect from 1 January 1997 is in the range of £207.98-£220.19 per week. This is the same rate as applies in the health services group 1 non-officer grades. This scale applies throughout the country and is increased from time to time in accordance with increase granted to non-nursing personnel.
The latest available details of the rate if gratuities applying to part-time home helps and the numbers in each board are given in the following Table 1. With regard to persons engaged in the home help service on a part-time basis, the position is that the rate of remuneration varies considerably throughout the country. In particular in the Eastern Health Board area, the service is provided wholly by voluntary groups which accounts for the wide variation within the area. In all boards the rates are determined by the particular requirements and the type of task undertaken in individual cases. It is a matter for each health board to decide on the level of home help services required and the level of payment to be made in respect of these services. The actual number of home help hours to be provided is assessed individually for each client. The chief executive officer of each board is in the best position to decide on these issues as my Department has no involvement in the day-to-day management of the service.
Table 1: Details of the numbers of full-time and part-time home helps in each health board and the rate of gratuity for parttimers at February 1997.
|
Health Board |
Number of Home Helps |
Rate |
|
|
Full-time |
Part-time |
||
|
Eastern Health Board |
0 |
3,912 |
£2.00-£4.00 |
|
Midland Health Board |
13 |
659 |
£3.00-£4.00 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
0 |
1,076 |
£2.74 |
|
North-Eastern Health Board |
0 |
1,240 |
£1.45 |
|
North-Western Health Board |
19 |
610 |
£2.72 |
|
South-Eastern Health Board |
6 |
1,097 |
£2.00-£3.50 |
|
Southern Health Board |
0 |
2,400 |
£1.40 |
|
Western Health Board |
63 |
888 |
£2.00 |
|
Total |
101 |
11,882 |
