Homecare waiting lists for outside of Dublin are more than five times higher than the average in the capital, new figures show.
On Wednesday, Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI), which represents the homecare sector in the State, released a report that found there were 5,556 people on a waiting list for homecare at the end of last year.
The body said the total figures for 2024 was a 5 per cent reduction when compared to December 2023, with a 5 per cent growth in the delivery of home support hours and a similar increase in the number of people now receiving home care – 58,200.
The highest waiting list was seen in the CHO 4, the HSE area that represents Cork and Kerry, where 1,018 people were on a waiting list. The lowest waiting list was in North Dublin (CHO 9).
Dublin drugs gang linked to €10.6m cocaine shipment concealed in truck
Donald Trump and Elon Musk won’t be able to go on ignoring the damage to the bottom line
Dublin office employee used by rival company to obtain trade secrets, global HR firm claims
Of course Conor McGregor was best Irish person the White House could think of inviting on St Patrick’s Day
The body did not have figures for the length of time a person is on a waiting list.
Last year, the HSE rationed homecare in two areas to stay within budget, a decision that was later criticised by the Department of Health.
These areas – which cover Cavan, Donegal, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Sligo and Westmeath – saw their waiting lists increase by 30 per cent, the figures show.
Joseph Musgrave, chief executive of HCCI, said five years ago, Dublin was the “problem child” in terms of long waiting lists.
The investment in the homecare sector in recent years has made significant difference in Dublin, he said, because it “almost all went to the independent sector”.
“The independent sector is far more agile in being able to recruit and be flexible in delivering homecare. CHO9 is 100 per cent outsourced and has a waiting list of zero. CH0 1 and 4 have the highest HSE provision,” he said, with these two HSE areas having highest and third highest waiting lists.
CHO 1 covers Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan.
“The data is saying to use the independent sector more. But it would be disingenuous for me to say that without having independent regulation. We have to give people confidence in the quality of care we are giving them.”
Mr Musgrave said Ireland is in “a position of relative strength” in this area but due to the ageing population there is a need to “reform it now”.
The latest figures come following a commitment by Minister of State for health Kieran O’Donnell to introduce a scheme giving people a legal entitlement to homecare in the lifetime of this Government.
Provisional figures from the HSE show the executive delivered 23.76 million home support hours last year, higher than its target of 22 million. It has received funding to deliver 24 million hours this year.
A spokeswoman said the delivery of home support has grown 38.7 per cent between December 2018 and last year.
