Vol. 495 No. 7
443 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, within his Department to review the rate of pay to home helps employed in the South-Eastern Health Board area; and if so, when the review will be finalised. [21478/98]
I am aware of the need to develop the home help service which provides a key service in supporting dependent people in their own homes. Following consultations with the chief executive officers of the health boards, my Department commissioned an examination of the future organisation of the home help service in Ireland by the policy research centre of the National College of Ireland under the direction of the National Council on Ageing and Older People. It is expected that this report will be submitted to me and published shortly.
It is my intention that the recommendations of the report will be fully considered with a view to early implementation. Although not within the terms of this study, I understand that the question of payments to home helps has been referred to. In this regard, I acknowledge that the system of remuneration of home helps nationally needs to be addressed. My department is currently examining how this might be achieved in the context of the availability of resources.
