Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 June 2013
942. Deputy Áine Collins asked the Minister for Health his views on the progress being made in the current negotiations between SIPTU acting for home help carers and the Health Service Executive; the measures being taken to provide a positive outcome, ensuring that home help workers employed by the HSE continue to provide the invaluable service to vulnerable persons in our society. [26871/13]
View answer1022. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that all Health Service Executive homehelp workers are in receipt of written contracts giving them the same statutory rights and conditions as full time workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27698/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 942 and 1022 together.
The Government recognises the value of the home help service in enabling people, who otherwise might need to be placed in long term residential care, to remain at home. It is also a vital support to older people in facilitating their early discharge from, and in preventing inappropriate admissions to, acute hospitals.
The HSE, equally, recognises the importance of home help and home care in supporting older persons to live in their own homes and communities, in accordance with Government policy. The 2013 National Service Plan includes the provision of 10.3 million hours of home help service, the same level as planned for in 2012.
The number of hours worked by home helps varies according to service needs, given that the home help service requires a unique set of arrangements to achieve the level of flexibility required. On 29 June 2012, the Labour Court recommended that the HSE and SIPTU should engage in relation to matters concerning the contracts of home helps. Subsequently, on 16th October 2012, it identified mechanisms to define specified hours and protocols to be followed where specified hours are not met as issues to be addressed. At a further hearing on 12th December 2012, it noted that management proposals to deal with these issues would be encompassed in a comprehensive delivery model for home help services.
The parties subsequently met on a number of occasions under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission, most recently on 30th April. While significant progress was made on a range of contractual matters, the Commission is referring a number of outstanding issues, including a revised contract for all home helps, back to the Labour Court.
