Vol. 492 No. 4
43 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Health and Children if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 47 of 30 April 1998, the recommendation is being implemented for all home help employees in the South-Eastern Health Board area; if it will be extended to all health board areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14236/98]
Parliamentary Question No. 47 of 30 April 1998 referred to a rights commissioner investigation into the case of a home help working in the South-Eastern Health Board region. Rights commissioner investigations are carried out within specific parameters. One of those parameters provides that these investigations should be carried out only in relation to rates of pay, hours or times of work, or annual holidays of an individual — they cannot investigate such a claim for a body of workers.
As I indicated in my reply of the 30 April, the board has accepted and implemented the recommendation in respect of the individual in question — this was the claim made and the basis on which the case was heard by the rights commissioner and not objected to by the board. Extension of such a recommendation would not be appropriate at this stage.
The valuable role which is played by home helps in the overall care of older people in this country is widely recognised. In this context, my Department has arranged to have an examination of the home help services carried out by an independent body, under the supervision of the National Council on Ageing and Older People, to advise on how the services can be developed in a cost effective way in tandem with the other community based services. I expect work to be completed on this review shortly. When I have received the report I will be in a better position to consider how best to bring about improvements in the overall organisation and development of the home help service.
