Sligo Home Helps Protest Over Cuts To Hours - (Video)

Just over 250 people attended a protest outside the HSE offices at Markievicz House in Sligo yesterday, Thursday, to protest against cuts which SIPTU claim will result in a cut of 10,000 home help hours each month across the Sligo and Leitrim region.

Declan Ferry, industrial organiser with Siptu’s health division told SligoToday.ie, "The most vulnerable in our society are again being hit hard by this Government, we have 1,600 clients in Sligo receiving home help and over 400 carers providing the service. The loss of these hours will have a knock-on effect on the economy of Sligo with less take home pay resulting in less spending money."

Mr Ferry advised home helps against being coerced into providing free hours in their work and said that the 'government should be concentrating on creating a fair tax system that also looks at the more wealthy in our society.'

Some of the protesters confirmed earlier reports that they had received text messages from the HSE urging them not to talk to the press.

See a short video by SligoToday.ie



The HSE said in a statement that it was facing “an extremely challenging financial situation” and a 4.5 per cent reduction in home help hours was being targeted nationally. It hoped to achieve this “through a more rigorous approach to ensure that the people most in need receive these supports”.

Cannot Be Justified

Independent Socialist Cllr Declan Bree who marched in solidarity with the protesting home helps said, “The Government decision to cut back the Home Help Service cannot be justified under any circumstances.

“Instead of proposing cut backs the Government should be making good on their commitment to provide additional care in the community for older people in need.  The HSE has constantly said that care provision in people’s homes is the preferred option. However the proposed cut backs will have the opposite effect and will inevitably lead to increased hospital admission and increased costs.

“The consequences of these cuts will be earlier admissions to nursing homes, longer stays in acute hospitals and anguish for families who need support to care at home for relatives suffering illness, frailty or disability.

“Elderly people receiving home help services and the Home Help workers who provide the service need the support of the general public. The Governments proposed cuts must now be reversed.” said Cllr Bree.

Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Cllr Veronica Cawley (Ind), a SIPTU member, told SligoToday.ie, "These home helps provide a great service to people in the community on a ongoing day-by-day basis , seven days a week all over County Sligo. Their work ensures the clients are staying in their home environment are are not taking up beds in the hospitals."

Cllr Cawley continued, "The big turnout here today reflects the deep concern people have at this time and shows how important it is that these hours must not be cut."