Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
485 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will ensure that guaranteed hours and proper treatment for home help assistants are introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11206/04]
View answerThe chief executive officer of each health board has responsibility for the management of the workforce, including the appropriate staffing mix, precise grades of staff employed and the number of hours worked in the board, in line with service priorities. The Deputy may wish to note that personnel employed as home helps in the health service benefit from standard terms and conditions of employment available to all grades of health service staff.
The number of hours worked by home helps are service driven and determined by the assessed needs of the clients. My Department has been advised by the Health Service Employers Agency that every effort is made to ensure appropriate stability in hours worked by home helps through, for example, the provision of supplementary or replacement hours consistent, in all instances, with service requirements.
