Colreavy blasts homecare cuts

Sinn Féin Sligo/North Leitrim TD Michael Colreavy has accused the HSE and the Government of targeting the most vulnerable, in what he describes as “further drastic health cuts”.

200 homecare packages per month are to be reduced while there is to be a 5.5% reduction in home help hours as part of w130 million worth of cuts to the health budget announced recently. Speaking last weekend, the Manorhamilton based representative commented that the cuts represent an attack on those who require care in their homes, and on the disabled.

He said: “It must be remembered that existing home help, homecare and personal assistant services are insufficient to meet the need that is out there, yet now they are to be further reduced. And this while the HSE and the Government are slashing the numbers of public nursing home beds and claiming that the priority is to keep older people living in their own homes.”