Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 2 Jul 1996

Vol. 467 No. 7

Written Answers. - Home Helps.

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

83 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Health the number of persons employed as home helps in each health board area; the rate of pay per hour in each health board area; and the maximum number of hours allowed each week for home help. [14137/96]

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

84 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to standardise the rate of home help pay; the further plans, if any, he has to improve the rate of pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14138/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 84 together. The number of home helps employed on a part-time or full-time basis in the health boards are tabulated as follows. It should be noted that these data relate to 1995.

Health Board	No of Part-time Home Helps	No of Full-time Home helps
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 salary scale for full-time home helps with effect from 1 June 1996 is in the range of £202.88 — £214.79 per week. This is the same rate as applies in the health services to group one nonofficer 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 throught the country. In particular in the Eastern Health Board area, the service is provided wholly by voluntary groups which accounts for the wide variation within the area. In all boards the rates are determined by the particular requirements and the type of task undertaken in individual cases. There is no formal limit to the number of hours allowed each week for home help.

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 purpose 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 average rate currently applying in the health boards are as follows:

Eastern Health Board	£2.00-£4.00 (min-max)
Midland Health Board	£3.00-£3.50 (min-max)
Mid-Western Health Board	£2.76
North-Eastern Health Board	£1.45
North-Western Health Board	£2.99
South-Eastern Health Board	£2.00
Southern Health Board	£1.40
Western Health Board	£1.00

In response to previous questions in this House I stated that my Department, in consultation with the chief executive officers of the health boards, has under consideration a number of aspects of the home help scheme, including the overall organisation of the service and the diversity of arrangements which exist within health boards for the provision of this service. A discussion document submitted by the chief executive officer group forms the basis for this examination.