Home Help cuts go deep - O' Súilleabháin

Cuts to home help services will see almost 1,000,000 hours being withdrawn from the system over a twelve month period according to Sinn Féin.  Local party spokesperson Fionntán O' Súilleabháin said the government had set their sights on the elderly who they now intended to bleed dry.  He added that these cuts would go deep and have far reaching consequences for our society.

"Cuts to home help and home care packages will go deep," Mr O' Súilleabháin said.  "What does the government intend the elderly and sick to do as they remove home help services while simultaneously reducing available beds in public nursing homes? The result of burning a candle at both ends is you end up with no candle."

" The latest Government cuts to Home Help and Home Care Packages will see almost 1,000,000 hours withdrawn from the system over a twelve month period.  These services play an integral role in our society, allowing people to live with dignity in their own homes and easing pressure on hospitals who without these services would face the addition of thousands of acute in-patients."

"Sinn Féin brought a private members motion before the Dail last Tuesday in an effort to halt these regressive cuts.  Unfortunately the government ignored our plea as Fine Gael and Labour reps spoke in favour of the very cruellest cuts to elderly citizens."

"Minister Reilly must make good on Fine Gaels programme for government promise to protect the elderly by reversing the cuts already made and abandoning proposals to introduce further cuts in the budget.  If these cuts are allowed to stand the consequences on our society will be far reaching and damning."