CLLR Declan Meehan was informed at Tuesday’s Regional Health Forum meeting that as of September 9 there were 373 clients in Donegal awaiting a new home support service or an increase in their current care package.
Cllr Meehan pointed out that knowing the recruitment embargo has been lifted since July, he sought a time scale as to when additional home helps would be recruited to address what he called a “dire need” in the county.
According to figures provided to the councillor, of the 373 clients awaiting packages, 258 of these are new clients.
The largest waiting list is in the county’s south network which includes the Ballyshannon/Bundoran area.
The total number waiting there is 138.
In the East network in the county the number waiting on assistance is 120. In the Inishowen network the number is 40, while in the north network of the county the number is 75.
“Obviously there is a huge need across Donegal with 373 on the waiting list. Is there any opportunity to increase the number of home help workers?” Cllr Meehan inquired.
Head of HR in this Community Healthcare region, Maria Ferguson told members that her local region directly employ a significant number with 40 to 50 more home helps added this year.
“Local services are looking at what they can do. There is an overall limit which applies in home helps,” she said.
Cllr Meehan posed the statement that “there is no active recruitment under way”.
Ms Ferguson informed him that they “are setting up panels and there are a number of candidates available.”
In a written reply Mr Dermot Monaghan told the newly elected councillor that from August 2024, Donegal Home Support Service has been placed under the mandatory Pay and Number protocol which has consigned limitations on recruitment and increasing home support hours at a local level.
The service is currently working with the local HR department regarding recruitment of additional Home Support Workers within the agreed WTE for the service.
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