It is “unacceptable” that more than 600 people across Galway, and the west, are still waiting for a carer to be allocated to them despite having received approval for a carer.
This is the view of Sinn Féin Galway East representative, Louis O’Hara, who was speaking after figures released by HSE to Sinn Féin spokesperson on Disability and Carers, Dep Pauline Tully, have shown that almost 5,000 people across the State are waiting for a carer to be allocated to them. Of these, 638 - 12.76 per cent - are in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon.
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Mr O’Hara described the figures as “shocking” and revealing a “growing crisis when it comes to homecarers in Ireland”. It is understood that, despite the 638 people in the three counties being approved for carers, the allocations have not happened due to “severe shortages” of staff, but also challenges in recruitment due to the contracts of employment on offer and employment terms and conditions.
'Looming crisis'
“Sinn Féin has been warning for many years now of a looming crisis within the homecare system,” said Mr O’Hara. “This crisis has spiraled during the pandemic, yet the Government has consistently failed to properly plan and put contingencies in place.”
Mr O’Hara [pictured below] is now calling on the Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael/Green coalition to engage with private and community and voluntary homecare providers to “incentivise” the terms and conditions offered to staff to bring them into line with those employed directly by the HSE.
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He is also calling for the Government to reintroduce priority PCR testing for healthcare staff, including homecare workers, and to relax the income and working hours limits for part-time homecare workers in receipt of social welfare payments.
“Behind every statistic are real lives and real people who are being let down by the State,” he said. “People with disabilities and older people should have every right to lead full, independent lives and receive sufficient support from the state to meet their needs.”
