SIPTU home helps and their supporters from across the west of Ireland will march on Sunday, November 25, in Castlebar to protest against cuts to home help services. The workers will assemble in the church car park, Chapel Street, at 1.30pm and march to Market Square.
SIPTU organiser Annette Carpenter explained: “Minister [James] Reilly is cutting the service by a further 600,000 home help hours to the detriment of the client in receipt of care and the workers whose hours and take home pay has been drastically cut.
“We are calling on all home help workers, clients, and their families, community activists and the general public throughout the western counties of Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal to join the march and send a clear message to the HSE that these cuts must be reversed.”
The march has already received the backing of local councillor Michael Kilcoyne who will be bringing motions supporting the SIPTU ‘Time to Care’ home helps campaign to the December meetings of both Mayo County Council and Castlebar Town Council.
The motion will call on the HSE and the Minister for Health “to cease the practice of cutting home help hours due to financial considerations only and not the needs of the clients or the integral role home care workers play in the HSE.”
Mayo home help Caroline Colleran from Ardkill, Kilmaine, said: “It’s very important to receive the support of our local communities for this march. We need to send a very clear message to our councillors, TDs, and the Taoiseach that these cuts are hurting the most vulnerable people in our society and must be reversed.”
Mayo Sinn Féin have also urged the Government to “make the right choice” on home help cuts.
Cllr Rose Conway-Walsh said: “The inhumane home help cuts imposed on the elderly and most vulnerable in our communities are not necessary and make no economic sense.
“Cutting home help hours does nothing to reduce the national deficit or create growth. Those delivering home help spend the money they earn in their local shops on goods and services thus stimulating local economies. Taking that money away puts more people on the live register.
“The cost of providing hospital and nursing home care for those who could easily remain in their own homes continues to generate unnecessary waste. The question is not, can we afford home help, it is, can we afford not to provide home help.
“I am pleased that SIPTU are now on board with the Campaign to reinstate the home help cuts and urge everyone in Mayo affected by these cuts to join the protest on Sunday.”
