asked the Minister for Health the proposals he has to provide money to health boards for payment of home-care allowances; if he is aware that the health boards cannot accept any more applications for home care as they have already overspent their allocations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Home Care Allowances.
42.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the home-help service in his question.
There is no question of any health board having overspent its 1975 allocation for this service. The final details of expenditure on the service in the current year have not yet been worked out and will be the subject of further discussions between officials of my Department and the health boards.
I am glad to hear the Minister say that. It contradicts what I have been told. I was told that one board exceeded their allocation for the year by £60,000. I was told there is some difficulty about the prescribed relative's allowance. It looked to me as if there was a complete shortage of money. I did not put down the question until I was told there was a shortage of money, that there is some difficulty with the officers who carry out the means test in relation to the prescribed relatives' allowance and that there have been delays of over two months in payments.
Question No. 43.
Lest there may be any misunderstanding, it would be virtually impossible to spend a year's allocation in four months. The money has not run out. I think Deputy Callanan is on the Western Health Board?
Yes.
More money was provided this year for the home help service than was provided last year.
That is not the point.
The Deputy suggested that the money has run out. It has not.
I put down this question as a result of information I received.
There may be more applicants than can be accommodated but more are being accommodated than there were last year.
Has the Minister issued any instructions to the health boards as to how those people should be defined and the conditions under which home help may be made available? If so, would he circulate those instructions?
That seems to be a separate matter. Question No. 43.
These are worked out between the officials of the Department of Health and the CEOs. So far as I am aware there has been no official communication.
Question No. 43.
Would the Minister agree that there are different attitude in different health boards?
If that were the case I would try to ensure that there were the same standards for all the health boards.
Arising out of... Minister's reply——
I have calls the next question a few times.