Government letting down 'most vulnerable in our community' claims Sinn Féin candidate

A SINN Féin election candidate has accused the Government of abandoning and letting down the 'most vulnerable in our community' by not addressing the home care sector.

Rosaleen Lally, a Sinn Féin candidate in the Belmullet Local Electoral Area (LEA) is calling on the HSE to urgently address the staffing issues in the Home Care sector in the North Mayo region.

“I have been out on the doorsteps across the Belmullet LEA over the past number of weeks and a recurring issue I’m hearing in the constituency is the lack of availability of home help hours and staff.

“I have spoken to some very elderly members of the community who have been assisted with home care packages but due to shortage of staff, have not received the service, I have also spoken to individuals who have been left without a service as their regular home carer is off sick or on annual leave.

“Many of these individuals have little or no family support and are in their late 80s, living alone. This is not good enough. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are failing older people and their families. There is now a crisis in homecare, which has been brewing for many years,” she said.

Ms Lally, who is currently the National Access Programme Manager with the Irish Wheelchair Association, claimed that poor rates of pay and travel allowance is pushing workers out of this service, leaving family carers and neighbours to carry the burden.

“Homecare failures are pushing older people into hospitals and nursing homes when they should be cared for in their own home. Sinn Féin in power would prioritise a homecare service which would reduce the length of hospital stays and reduce the risk of hospitalisation, which would reduce pressures on our emergency departments and reduce delayed discharges,” the Belmullet native said.

She added that Sinn Féin’s policy on Health care states that we will direct the HSE to develop greater capacity and to reduce reliance on the private sector while also addressing recruitment and retention problems in home care.

“Sinn Féin have pledged to invest €25 million in their health policy to retain the full allocation of home support hours and provide for the living wage and travel expenses for home support workers.

“If elected to Mayo County Council in June, I will work with Rose Conway Walsh TD and David Cullinane TD Sinn Féin spokesperson for Health to ensure that our elderly are given the dignity and support they deserve,” she concluded.