Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Sep 1995

Vol. 455 No. 8

Written Answers. - Home Help Service Rates.

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

80 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the rates paid by the various health boards to providers of the home help service are adequate; if he will give details of these rates; and whether he intends to provide further resources for an improvement in this service. [12887/95]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The salary scale for fulltime home helps with effect from 1 June 1995 is in the range of £199.88-£211-62 per week. This is the same rate as applies in the health services to Group I 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 average rates currently applying in the health boards are as follows:

EHB	£2.00 - £4.00
	(min-max)
MHB	£2.75
MWHB	£2.66
NEHB	£1.45
NWHB	£2.67
SEHB	£2.00
SHB	£1.40
WHB	£1.00

The underlying philosophy governing the operation of the home help scheme is that it is a community based "good neighbour" scheme which would attract people primarily motivated by the desire to engage in community services. Volunteers who work as part-time home helps are paid a stipend or gratuity for the service they provide. This gratuity is meant only as a contribution and is not intended to compensate fully for the task undertaken. The issue of payment for part-time home helps has been raised on a number of occasions in the recent past. I have asked the chief executive officers of the health boards to review the differences in arrangements between the boards for providing the service. I am in the process of establishing a working group to examine the question in greater detail with a view to developing a more rationalised approach to the delivery of this service.