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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Apr 1992

Vol. 418 No. 2

Written Answers. - Home Help Service.

Michael Finucane

Ceist:

67 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health the number of part-time home help personnel in the Mid-Western Health Board area for, (a) County Limerick, (b) Limerick city, (c) Clare and (d) North Tipperary at March 1992; and the number of people who are availing of this service at these four locations.

Michael Finucane

Ceist:

69 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the serious disquiet in the Mid-Western Health Board areas because of the people who had their home help discontinued or reduced and also the reduction in hours allocated to those providing the home help service; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 67 and 69 together.

As I informed the Deputy some days ago, there is a slightly smaller sum available in the mid-west for the home help programme this year. In the circumstances, it may happen that a small number of clients will receive a marginal reduction in services and the health board informs me that every effort will be made to maintain the service at the highest possible level.

The breakdown in numbers between part-time home helps employed and recipients of the service as at 31 March 1992 is as follows:—

Area

No. of part-time home helps

No. of Clients

Limerick City and County

540

746

North Tipperary

236

260

Clare

333

393

Total

1,109

1,399

Michael Finucane

Ceist:

68 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Health if he will outline, (a) the hourly rate for part-time personnel providing the home help service in the Mid-Western Health Board area and (b) the average payment made to them.

The rate of remuneration for part-time home helps is based on the requirements and type of tasks undertaken and consequential time input rather than on a specific rate per hour.

I am advised that in the Mid-Western Health Board area, payment is generally made to part-time home helps in respect of four week or five week periods. The average payment at present is £103 which, when approximated with a rate per hour, would equate with £2.25 per hour.

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