Shortall criticises Government homecare scheme

Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall has said the Governent’s announcement of increased pay for those in State-funded home support services is “deeply cynical.”

Shortall noted that the Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, was in favour of implementing in full the recommendations of the cross-departmental Strategic Workforce Advisory Group to help address the serious shortage of homecare workers, the provisions of which would include payment of the National Living Wage, at a minimum, in addition to agreed rates for time spent traveling.

“However, while attempting to seek credit for finally introducing these measures, the Government has advised that there will be a significant cut in the targets set out in the National Service Plan for 2023,” which Shortall said “will see the current provision of 23.9 million hours reduced to 22 million hours.”

“It is a blatant case of the Government giving with one hand and taking with the other,” the Dublin North-West TD said.

“Those carrying out home support services on behalf of the HSE, including workers in the community, voluntary and private sectors, deserve nothing less as historically they have been paid very badly.”

Shortall also noted that this is occurring in the context of Ireland’s “rapidly aging population and over 6,000 older people around the country being approved for homecare but left languishing on waiting lists.”

She said that the current plan will “simply drive more people into nursing homes, ultimately costing the State extra money.”

“The Government’s announcement must be seen for the political doublespeak that it is.”

“It follows the unacceptable delay by the HSE in agreeing a new tender with homecare service providers, which was supposed to be in place in January but is only being finalised this month – the Minister for Health will not be thanked for cutting service hours and pitting homecare workers against older people,” she added.