Sinn Féin TD, Brian Stanley is calling on the Government and the Minister for Health to sort out much-needed frontline services as Laois Home Help situation is “past breaking point”.
With only new services available to only palliative care patients, the Stanley said: “The Home Help situation in Laois/Offaly is a National Scandal matters have now become critical.
“Numerous people have now been told they have been granted home help hour’s but they are ‘waitlisted’’.
“Some of these patients are in the 90’s. In reality, these have little or no hope of getting home help hours even in the medium term,” he added.
With HSE staff facing increasing demand, he said: “(they) have absolutely no resources to cater for new clients or extra hours. In fact, they are only able to grant new or extra hours in the case of Palliative Care (end of life).
“This is absolutely scandalous. Government Ministers are constantly announcing that extra hours were granted this year and that they have budgeted for an extra one million hours in the recent budget.
“The reality on the ground is that services are past breaking point. €17 Billion of public money is gone into Health Services this year. Yet this important and critical frontline service is not available to those who badly need it,” he continued.
According to the TD, HSE officials confirmed that no new services or extra hours can be provided to new clients until they can reduce the overall monthly cost of what is currently provided to below the amount allocated by the Department of Health to cover this.
SEE ALSO – Laois hit by overnight crime spree as host of businesses, schools and homes hit
