MEP Accuses HSE on Carers Cutbacks – Co. Laois Carers Hit

The HSE has been accused of using the current political impasse to implement a totally unacceptable cut to homecare packages and home help hours which would seriously affect

3,185 Co. Laois carers who currently provide care to the value of over €37 million each year.

In a scathing attack on the HSE independent MEP Marian Harkin, who is founder and co-chair of the European Parliament Carers Interest Group, said that it was obvious that the HSE hoped to avoid political focus on a patently unfair measure against family carers who had punitive cutbacks imposed on them over the last five years.

Marian Harkin continued:-“Having regard to the fact that almost 200,000 family carers save the state an estimated €11 million every day, and over €4 billion every year, it puts into perspective the meanness of this latest HSE decision. In the new politics which hopefully will emerge from the current attempt to form a government, I hope that this type of cynical action by the HSE will find difficulty in being implemented”.

She called on the different political groupings to ensure that the HSE did not succeed in imposing further stress on family carers and, in particular, insisted that the Minister for Health should immediately call on the HSE not to implement the latest cuts.