Mattie McGrath decries home care shortages, urges minister action
Mattie McGrath criticised the state of home health services and urged the minister to take meaningful action. He raised a constituent case from South Tipperary and outlined nationwide staffing and delivery shortfalls.
Immediate concern
He described a 92-year-old constituent in Turinina who lost consistent home health support when a family carer was not permitted to continue caring, saying a small amount of home care would keep people out of hospital and aid recovery.
Scale of the problem
He said the situation is "literally appalling" across the country, with cases coming into constituency offices daily. He emphasised that elderly people are being affected and that partial or missing home care supplies are particularly problematic at weekends and in rural areas.
Service delivery figures
The minister reported that 56,000 people have received home care, while approximately 3,200 people are funded for home care but staff are not available to deliver it, and about 3,000 people have only a partial supply of care.
Recruitment and funding measures
The minister said a budget of $723 million was provided this year and that 1,000 work permits were allocated in January; 56 permit-holders have arrived to date, with more expected over the summer. A new tender for private providers will require payment of the living wage and travel time for each worker, which the minister hopes will improve staffing.
Calls to the minister
McGrath said he has engaged with the "young Gavin team" and with the minister's office but pressed the minister directly for "something meaningful" to address the daily cases of people unable to access needed home health.
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The situation regarding home health and the provision of the same is just literally appalling all over the country, but especially in South Tipperary, West Waterford. I have a constituent of the Minister of Butler, from Turinina, a 92-year-old man who had home health and a gentleman was doing it from home instead, and now he has decided to move to the HSC. But the HSC won't allow that gentleman to stay caring for this family, this person. So, I mean, I've been engaged with the young Gavin team, they've been very helpful, but they just haven't got the staff, and we get trotted out answers here that there's heaps of money in it. You know better than I know that the people aren't there. It's shameful to see elderly people who, a little bit of a home health will keep them out of hospital, and all that engages with costs, and he's not recovering well. So, look, can you, Minister Butler, please do something meaningful here, because they've been in touch with Mr Butler's office as well, and it's just, we have these cases on an hourly basis in our offices, every day of the week, just people cannot get home health, and a little is all they want, but they can't get it. Thank you, Minister Butler. As I stand here today, 56,000 people, the length and breadth of the country, will have received home care. We do have a situation at the moment where we have approximately 3,200 people who are funded for home care, but we don't have the staff to deliver the service, and we have approximately 3,000 people who have a partial supply, so we're challenged at the weekends, especially in the rural areas. We are working on it. I was provided with a budget of $723 million this year. We are currently, after extending work permits outside the EU, 1,000 permits were allocated in January of this year, and to date 56 people have come into the country, but we expect much more to happen during the summer. But we are trying everything we possibly can, and the new tender we're working on in relation to the private providers will mean that every private hour that's now provided, the private providers will have to pay the living wage and travel time to each person who works for them, and we're hoping that will make a difference as well. Thank you, Minister.
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