Vol. 476 No. 5
94 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has to improve the home help service being provided by the health boards; if it is intended to provide further funding for the home help service; if it is intended to provide extra payment to home helps who are looking after more than one person in line with the recent decision in relation to carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7636/97]
Limerick East): The issue of payment for part-time home helps has been raised on a number of occasions in the recent past. As the Deputy will be aware, the rate of remuneration varies considerably throughout the country. The rates are determined by the particular requirements and type of task undertaken in individual cases. It is a matter for each health board to decide on the level of home help services required and the level of payment to be made in respect of these services. The chief executive officer of each board is in the best position to decide on these issues as my Department has no involvement in the day to day management of the service. However, I would like to point out to the Deputy that my Department has allocated additional funding to three of the health boards this year, including the Western Health Board, for the purpose of increasing the rates of payment to home helps. This is the second year running that the Western Health Board has been able to increase the rate of pay to home helps. It is my intention to make further progress in this regard when resources permit.
In response to previous questions in the House on this issue I stated that the Department in consultation with the chief executive officers of the health boards has under active 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 the health boards for the provision of this service. Following on from these discussions, my Department decided to have an examination of the operation of the home help services carried out by an independent body which will advise on how the services can be developed in a cost effective way in tandem with the other community based services. Following receipt of tenders for this review, the contract has been awarded and the work will commence shortly. It is expected that the review will be completed before the end of the year.
