Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 8 Apr 2003

Vol. 564 No. 5

Written Answers - Health Board Services.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

260 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the provision of home help in the Southern Health Board area; the amount of money allocated by his Department to the Southern Health Board for the provision of home help for each year from 1997 to 2003 inclusive; if he will take steps to prevent cutbacks in the home help service in the Southern Health Board area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9577/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. Callely)

The Southern Health Board has supplied the following information in relation to budgets and hours provided for the years 1997 to 2003 inclusive.

Year	Budget	Total Amount ofHours Supplied
	€
1997	4.10	1,589,156
1998	4.70	1,633,471
1999	7.20	1,799,536

Year	Budget	Total Amount ofHours Supplied
	€
2000	12.30	2,017,484
2001	27.90*	2,454,484
2002	28.00	2,608,972**
2003	31.30	2,660,000(approximately)

*The 2001 budget provided for additional substantial increases relating to the implementation of the national home help agreement. While these were included in the budget for 2001, they were paid out in 2002.

**The total number of home help hours provided for 2002 was 2,781,972 to approximately 7,000 clients. This level of service provision included once-off hours arising from the national home help agreement of 2000 for annual leave and training and other elements of the service relating to the agreement totalling approximately 173,000 hours. The net hours for 2002 amounted to 2,608,972.

It will be noted that the level of home help service provided by the Southern Health Board has risen substantially over the past six years and that, in 2003, there will be no overall reduction in the 2002 figure.