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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 21 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Social Welfare Benefits.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this very important issue on the Adjournment this evening and I thank the Minister for coming here to reply.

The explanatory document sent by the North-Eastern Health Board to all home help and home care assistants stated that people with only one client will not qualify for payment of a travel allowance and will no longer receive transport expenses from the board. That sent shivers and shockwaves through the entire caring community, those who provide this essential and invaluable service and those who benefit from it. Those people with more than one client would receive payment for those clients but not on the initial journey from home to the first client or from the last client home. To claim payment, employers using a private vehicle must get their motor insurance company to indemnify the North-Eastern Health Board. In some cases that may cost €100.

The document clearly stated that home carers who attend only one client will not be entitled to payment of travel expenses regardless of the number of times they call to a client on any given day. It also stated that home care assistants currently in receipt of mileage allowance to attend one client are no longer entitled to claim for this journey. This journey is effectively a journey to work for such employees. Where such an arrangement exists they should cease with immediate effect. Can anyone explain how one can classify a one hour call to an aged or handicapped person as a full-time job? This is ridiculous.

I am pleased that in the past 24 hours senior health board officials have assured me that the 15p per mile allowance will not be taken away from these people and that no one will be worse off as a result of the new regulation. That change is welcome. However, the 15p per mile is not sufficient to cover anyone's costs and few, if any, receive mileage allowance at this level. It is very wrong for the Government to take away cash from these caring people. They provide a service not just for their clients but also for the State by allowing elderly and disabled people to remain in their homes rather than in hospital or a home for the elderly. Many carers told me they have great trouble obtaining their pay and allowances for which they must often wait for months. Most people receive their pay per week so why is that not the case with carers?

I am aware of the case of two handicapped adults who are looked after by their mother. They used to be able to get two weeks respite care for the handicapped. They have now been advised this is no longer available but their mother has been assured they will receive two weeks in St. Davnet's Psychiatric Hospital if necessary. Their brother died last year and their mother is over 80 years of age. Given the Celtic tiger, is this the sort of treatment these people deserve?

I have been contacted by the Rehabilitation Institute whose budget has been severely cut. I am sure my colleagues also received this letter.

Acting Chairman:

The Deputy must not exceed his time.

During the past five years we have been very generous in some areas in this country. We should at least look after the worst off, such as the disabled and the aged, in a caring and proper way.

On behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, I wish to address the question raised by Deputy Crawford in relation to the withdrawal of mileage allowance for carers and home helps in the North-Eastern Health Board region.

The mileage allowance has not been withdrawn from these categories of staff. What has occurred is that the structure of mileage allowance for these categories of staff has been altered. This alteration has occurred as a result of the Part-Time Home Helps Agreement, 2000. The agreement which was negotiated between management and employee representatives conferred full employee status on home helps and home care attendants.

In accordance with this agreement, the rate of pay for home helps and home care attendants was increased from £4.40, €5.59, per hour to approximately £7, €8.89, per hour. In addition, both were awarded all associated premia, including holiday pay, unsocial hours premium, overtime, Saturday premium and Sunday premium. In general, the home helps agreement was of great benefit to both home helps and home care attendants, improving their working conditions and terms of employment and, in some cases, leading to a doubling of wages for these employees.

With respect to travel, the agreement increased the amount payable per mile from approximately 15p, 19 cent, to an average of 50p, 64 cent. In line with normal health service practice, no mileage allowance is payable for travel to the first client and from the last client as this is deemed to be the same as a normal employee's journey to and from work. Consequently, home helps and home care attendants are not paid mileage to their first client and from their last client. The agreement, however, makes allowance for adjustments in the context of "special local needs and requirements". This permits local management to negotiate deviation from the terms of the home helps agreement on a personal basis with these categories of staff. This will help to ensure any unique case may be judged on its merits.

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