asked the Minister for Health the measures he proposes to adopt to render the home help scheme more effective.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Home Help Scheme.
90.
The home help service was introduced in April, 1972, with an initial budget of £150,000, to enable health boards to provide domiciliary services for (a) families in stress situations with young children who otherwise would have to be taken into care and (b) the aged, especially those living alone.
Reports from Health Boards indicate that in the year ended March 31st last the total expenditure on this service has reached more than double the original figure. At that date 3,101 home helps were employed throughout the country. The beneficiaries included 222 families, 2,904 aged persons and 419 others, mainly the disabled and the chronically ill.
My policy is that the service will continue to expand and that it will be rendered more effective in each area by the appointment of wholetime organisers and the initiation of training schemes for serving personnel. Additional funds have been allocated for the service in the current year.