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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 Jul 2003

Vol. 570 No. 2

Written Answers. - Home Help Service.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

374 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of money which has been saved by reducing home help and home carers hours; the amount which has been saved in the North-Eastern Health Board area; his views on whether more people have finished up in hospital or homes for the elderly as a result of these cutbacks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18331/03]

The National Council on Ageing and Older People published a report, The Future Organisation of the Home Help Service in Ireland, in 1998. There has been a major step forward in the implementation of the home help scheme since 1999, in terms of the amount of service delivered and the treatment of the home help providers. The time when home help providers worked for a pittance is long gone. Over €30 million has been injected into the system to ensure that home help providers receive a decent level of pay and other entitlements, such as holidays and sick leave. An additional €7 million has been made available to the health boards to increase the availability of the home help service by employing more home help providers or by increasing the number of hours worked by existing providers.

The percentage expenditure increase on the home help service in 2003, compared with 2000, in each health board area, is as follows: ERHA, 45.74%; NEHB, 107.05%; NWHB, 153.13%; MHB, 147.81%; MWHB, 131.62%; SEHB, 155.07%; SHB, 154.47%; WHB, 122.98%. The total increase in expenditure on the home help service across all health board areas since 2000 is 113.59%. The fact that the current overall economic position has had implications for all aspects of public investment is reflected in the Estimates and the budget adopted by the Government for 2003. Some two thirds of the additional funding available for non-capital investment in services has been allocated to the health services within this overall framework. This funding is being applied largely to maintaining existing levels of service across all service programmes, including the home help service.

There is increased demand on the home help service for a number of reasons. Approximately 6,000 people enter the over-65 bracket each year and there is, proportionately, a bigger percentage increase in the more dependant over-80 category. These factors may necessitate minor adjustments in the provision of the home help service. The overall increased spending on the home help service in 2003, compared to 2002, is over €5,327,000. The only health board or authority where expenditure on the home help service in 2003 represents a major reduction on the 2002 figure is the North-Eastern Health Board. The board overspent its home help budget in 2002 by €800,000 and that amount has to be drawn down against the 2003 allocation, in accordance with accountability procedures. No evidence available to me suggests that the reduction in expenditure will result in a significantly increased admission of older people to hospitals or nursing homes. The health boards have assured me that the provision of the home help service is organised on the basis that the more vulnerable clients are given priority.
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