More than 50 protesters protested outside the constituency office of the Taoiseach on Monday (8th October) to draw attention to Health Service Excutive (HSE) proposals for further cuts to the Home Help service in County Mayo and the continued dishonouring of their contracts of employment. The Taoiseach was not available to speak to the Home Helps, but his parliamentary assistant, Cllr Ger Deere, met with a small group of shop stewards to hear their concerns.
SIPTU Organiser, Paul Hardy, said: "No breakdown of cuts in Mayo has been released by the HSE and no risk assessment has been carried out, but we agree with the recent statement of North Mayo coroner, Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald that reductions in Home Help services lead to an increase in deaths from chronic illness.”
He added: “The present cuts are not only detrimental to the health and well-being of elderly people in the county but are economically foolish, since integrated Home Help care keeps people out of residential nursing homes and overcrowded emergency departments. The Government should immediately instruct the HSE not to cut services further and to make best use of the contracted Home Help hours available for the good of our community."
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