Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 4

Written Answers. - Home Help Service.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

111 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health if funding under section 61 of the Health Act, 1970, to voluntary home help organisations particularly in the Eastern Health Board area is inadequate to meet their needs in view of the fact that a number of organisations currently have large overdrafts; and if he will clarify the relationship between his Department, the Eastern Health Board and these voluntary organisations in view of the concern among their members that they might become personally liable for such debts as a result of a shortfall in his Department's funding to the Eastern Health Board. [13544/96]

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

112 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health if his Department has given guidelines to the Eastern Health Board for agreeing budgets with voluntary organisations operating home help services under section 61 of the Health Act, 1970; if so, if he will publish these guidelines and make them available to the relevant organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13545/96]

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

113 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health the level of funding being provided by his Department to the Eastern Health Board to provide home help services under section 61 of the Health Act, 1970, in each of the past five years; and the percentage increase and the amounts approved for 1996 having regard to the fact that some organisations, particularly in area 7 of the Eastern Health Board, have been told that their allocations have been frozen at 1995 levels. [13546/96]

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

114 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health if additional funding is being provided in 1996 to the Eastern Health Board to allow for holiday pay to home helps as provided under current legislation; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that although the Eastern Health Board, particularly in area 7, has paid back-payments from 1991 to 1994, no payments were made in respect of 1995, leaving the organisations concerned open to litigation from their home helps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13547/

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 to 114, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, section 61 of the Health Act, 1970, enables health boards to make arrangements to assist in the maintenance at home of persons who but for the provision of such a service would require to be maintained otherwise than at home. This section empowers, without obliging, health boards to provide support services such as home help, laundry and meals. It is a matter for each health board, within the overall financial allocation notified by my Department, to decide the level of funding for the home help service. As the level of funding for the home help service is a matter for each health board, my Department does not consider it necessary to issue guidelines on funding voluntary home help organisations.

The role of the voluntary committee in the home help service is to provide a service, on the Eastern Health Board's behalf, to those persons requiring care and assistance at home so that they can continue to live independently within the community. Organisations are notified by the board of their allocation each year and advised that the level of services should be contained within the approved allocation. The board's local community care staff have ongoing consultation with the organisations to assist in ensuring that levels of services are in line with the funds available and that deficits are not incurred.

In allocating funding to an organisation, the Eastern Health Board takes account of the level of service development of the organisation, their financial position at the end of the previous year and the organisation's anticipated income from recipients' contributions.

The level of funding provided by the Eastern Health Board to provide home help service in the last five years is as follows:

Year	£ million
1991	3,464
1992	3,792
1993	4,100
1994	4,675
	(included a special allocation for holiday pay)
1995	4,365

The allocation to the service in 1996 increased by 0.9 per cent to £4,404 million. In general the allocation provided to each organisation enables it to continue the agreed level of service reached in the previous year. The 1996 allocation was finalised with each organisation when the audited accounts for 1995 were received. I understand that these accounts are currently outstanding for one organisation in Area 7 and consequently the allocation to this group must remain at the 1995 level until the accounts are received.

With regard to the question of additional funding for holiday pay, my Department made a special allocation available to the Eastern Health Board in late 1994 to meet a claim in respect of holiday pay from voluntary agencies providing services in the Eastern Health Board area. This allocation enabled the board to fund the cost of holiday pay already paid or due to be paid by the voluntary home help organisations. The board is now reviewing with each organisation the service provision-expenditure in 1996 including any outstanding claims for holiday pay from 1995 and ongoing in 1996.