Minister told to ‘get a grip’ on home help cuts

Embattled Health Minister James Reilly needs to “get a grip” on the issue of home help cuts, Labour party chairman Colm Keaveney has warned.

Coalition tensions over the issue burst into the open as 3,000 people took to the streets of Castlebar, the Taoiseach’s home turf, to express anger at the cuts.

Uproar has been sparked by HSE moves to slash €8m from the home care bill — with some vulnerable people only being told of their cut in service via an answerphone message.