Séamus Hughes
Ceist:72 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for Health the hourly rates paid to home help by health boards; and the variations, if any, in the rates. [2521/95]
Written Answers. - Home Help.
Séamus Hughes
Ceist:73 Mr. Hughes asked the Minister for Health the number of home helps per health board area employed at December 1994, on a part time or full time basis; and the results of his Department's discussions with Chief Executive Officers of the health boards, particularly in relation to increasing rates of pay and pension entitlements. [2522/95]
Limerick East): I intend to take Questions Nos. 72 and 73 together.
The salary scale for full-time home helps with effect from 1 June 1994, is in the range of £190.96 to £202.47 per week. This is the same rate as applies in the health services to group 1 non-officer grades. This scale applies throughout the country and is increased from time to time in accordance with increases granted to non-nursing personnel.
With regard to persons engaged in the home help service on a part time basis, the position is that the rate of remuneration varies considerably throughout the country. In particular in the Eastern Health Board area, the service is provided wholly by voluntary groups, this accounts for a wide variation within the health board area. In all boards the rates are determined by the particular requirements and type of task undertaken in individual cases.
The average rates currently applying in the health boards are as follows: Eastern Health Board, £2 to £4 (min.-max.); Midland Health Board, £2.50; Mid-Western Health Board, £2.60; North-Eastern Health Board, £1.45; North-Western Health Board, £2.61; South-Eastern Health Board, £2; Southern Health Board, £1.40; Western Health Board, £1.
It should be noted that payments made to part-time home helps do not come within the scope of the PAYE system. Neither is such income taken into account for the purposes of a means test where a part-time home help, or the spouse of a part-time home help, is in receipt of a means tested social welfare payment.
The number of home helps per health board area employed at December 1994 on a part-time or full-time basis is as follows:
|
Health Board |
Number of Home Help |
|
|
Part-time |
Full-time |
|
|
Eastern Health Board |
3,403 |
— |
|
Midland Health Board |
605 |
14 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
1,045 |
8 |
|
North-Eastern Health Board |
1,460 |
— |
|
North-Western Health Board |
364 |
36 |
|
South-Eastern Health Board |
1,146 |
4 |
|
Southern Health Board |
2,314 |
— |
|
Western Health Board |
878 |
64 |
|
Total |
11,215 |
126 |
The issue of payment for part-time home helps has been raised on a number of occasions in the recent past. The chief executive officers of the health boards have been asked by the Department to review the issue of the differences in the rates of pay to home helps between boards and the diversity of arrangements for providing the service.