Thousands to march over homehelp cuts

Thousands of sick and elderly people are set to march on Leinster House over the Government’s plans to axe 450,000 home help hours from the system.

In a highly controversial move to help solve the health service’s chronic overspending, the HSE yesterday confirmed it was cutting €8m worth of home help hours until the end of this year.

The figure, which equates to roughly 450,000 hours of support for those in need, replaces an initial plan to cut €10.8m which had to be cancelled last month after public outrage.

The HSE defended the move, with a spokesperson saying it was “the HSE’s intention that the impact of these reductions will be minimised by ensure services are provided” to those in most need.

Home help cuts make mockery of Reilly claim he is “reforming” the Health service http://t.co/wcH9beOO #homehelps #nocuts #budget13

— Richard Boyd Barrett (@RBoydBarrett) October 5, 2012

A further 500,000 home help hours were cut earlier this year.

A series of pre and post- general election promises from Health Minister Dr James Reilly that the service would be protected appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

In response to the latest cuts, the Home Help/ Home Care Action Group has organised a march on the Dáil for Oct 17, at 3pm, starting from the Spire on Dublin’s O’Connell St, to “demand the Government and HSE immediately cease attacking the elderly, sick and disabled”. Group spokesman John Lyons said: “The Government needs to start listening to the people rather than the troika.”

He said he expected thousands of people to voice their frustration on the cuts affecting some of the most vulnerable people across all age groups, and the impact it will have on the wider health service.

The comment was mirrored by Older and Bolder director Patricia Conboy, who said the HSE’s claims it would ensure those in most need were not affected were “misleading at best”.

That's over 400,000 hours of cuts to homehelp services

— Suzy Byrne (@suzybie) October 4, 2012

“The HSE’s statement fails to reassure those already in receipt of services that their hours will not be reduced, only that they will not ‘be without a service’.

“Those who are on waiting lists will be legitimately fearful about the refusal of much-needed help.”

Siptu, which represents home help workers, said the cuts are “morally unacceptable and illogical”.

Age Action Ireland spokesperson Eamon Timmins said the policy “flies in the face” of patient need and will only add to health service costs.

With the threatened cuts to #homehelp hours does it really need to go as far as seeing those who need care protest outside #Dail #wtf

— Mary Roche (@maryroche) October 5, 2012

Nursing home care, one of the few alternatives to home help, is widely accepted to cost taxpayers significantly more than the service which is being cut back.

In addition, a recent report highlighted how the sheer number of people in hospital who do not have adequate step down services available to them is impacting on waiting list delays.

Opposition TDs Richard Boyd Barrett of People Before Profit and Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher urged a second row-back on the plans.

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