Independent TD Michael Lowry has welcomed the recent added financial investment in the Irish health sector, and in particular the €40m announced for home care services. Same investment comes as part of an extra €500 million funding which has been added to our already overall Health Service Budget nationally for 2016, by Minister for Health Mr Simon Harris.
However Lowry warned, “Despite this new welcome allocation, serious challenges still continue to remain within the service, with demands for home help and home care packages continuing to grow.”
In particular Lowry pointed out, “Patients who are medically ready for hospital discharge continue to remain waiting in much needed hospital beds, due to our inability to access and put in place home supports.”
“More access to home supports”, stated Lowry, “could see patients living at home; instead of remaining in long-term residential care, should these appropriate services be made more readily available. This said problems are also arising in the number of older people already in receipt of home care, who have been identified as not receiving the number of help hours needed.
It is readily acknowledged that many more patients could be at home”, continued Lowry, “where they themselves want to be; where their families want them to be; and where Government policy says they should be. However we are simply not providing these necessary homecare supports and this present situation goes completely against Governmental stated objectives of caring for individuals within our communities.
In particular over the past number of years Health Care in its entirety across Tipperary has faced utter devastation through serious financial cuts, e.g. South Tipp General Hospital, Our Lady’s hospital Cashel, Dean Maxwell Roscrea, Mount Sion Tipperary, the effects of which can only be described as terrifying and a gross burden on our most vulnerable. To this end I will now be seeking an assurance from Minister Harris that a fair share of this much needed new funding will be made available to Co. Tipperary.
This new investment in our community care services is indeed a most positive development, however we now need to put in place a system that provides for more appropriate homecare services and packages. This will enable many more of our citizens to return to live in their own homes under a more tailored care plan, which in turn will be one step closer to solving our current hospital overcrowding”, concluded Lowry.
George. We are excited that England came out of the EU. Now Ireland needs to follow. England can turn away illegal’s like Australia does. And save Millions. Then England can become Great again.
I don’t agree. Once the sun never set on the British Empire. The reason is that it had acquired it’s global empire through greed and a wish for world domination. This greed has lead to world chaos for other countries, e.g.India, Ireland and after yesterday’s vote the British empire stands to shrink even further. The Irish people understand at first hand what emigration means, and today is a painful and shocking day for not just Britain, but for Europe, and for our world as a whole.
Much of the Brexit campaign for Britain was campaigned for by fear-mongering newspaper editors and opportunist politicians who helped persuade 51.9% of the British public to blame the EU for all that ailed them. Now must be the time to commit to fight for a world for which we all dream.
Meanwhile our border issues, our efforts in diplomacy on Northern Ireland and with England have been set back by almost 100 years. A sad day today for Ireland however I wish England well following their new decision.