Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2004
296 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the percentage of the population aged over 65 that receives home help; the percentage of over 65s who receive home help in each of the health board areas; the comparative figures for the years 2002, 2003 and to date in 2004; and the average number of hours that each person receives. [14150/04]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. It has written to the CEOs of the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards and asked them to supply the relevant details to me. I will forward them to the Deputy, as a matter of urgency.
297 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of home helps employed in each of the health board areas for the years 2002, 2003 and to date in 2004; and the average number of hours worked by the home helps. [14151/04]
View answerAccording to the health service personnel census there were 2,534 home helps in wholetime equivalent terms employed in the health service at the end of 2002 and 2,281 WTEs home helps employed at the end of 2003. Information in respect of the end of March 2004 is being compiled by my Department and will be available in the near future. Caution should be exercised in comparing employment levels over the two years as changes in grade classifications have given rise to a lack of continuity in the data series. A substantial volume of home help services are delivered through voluntary agencies that are not recorded in the census. The figures set out above relate to wholetime equivalents so the numbers of hours worked relate to a full working week of 39 hours.
