My Department recognises the valuable role played by both family support workers and home helps in supporting people in the home. However, the underlying philosophy governing the operation of the existing home help scheme was that of a community based, part-time good neighbour scheme which would attract volunteers primarily motivated by the desire to engage in community service and as such the service does not come within the realm of conventional employment.
My Department does not set a pay rate or a travel allowance for this category of staff as the type of service given varies considerably in different health board regions. The rate paid to staff in these groups, and their terms and conditions, varies throughout the country since these rates are determined by the employing authority on the basis of their particular requirements and type of task undertaken. It is, therefore, a matter for the chief executive officer of the South-Eastern Health Board to decide on these issues.
A report examining 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 has recently been presented to me and it is my intention that the recommendations of this report will be fully considered. I have recently provided additional resources to health boards to facilitate an increase in the rate of payment for all home helps to £3 per hour from 1 April 1999. This is part of a phased improvement, the remaining phases of which I hope to implement as resources permit. I understand that, following the lodgement of a national pay claim, the Health Service Employers Agency will be meeting with unions representing the staff, in the near future and that this matter will be dealt with through the normal industrial relations procedures.
