The HSE has refuted a claim by a Sligo/Leitrim TD that home help hours have been ‘slashed’ by almost 10,000 hours over the past year.
In a statement to Ocean FM, the HSE says budgeted home help hours for Sligo/Leitrim have actually increased this year.
Fianna Fail Deputy Eamon Scanlon had claimed there were 74,063 home help hours proviced in the Sligo/Leitrim area in January and February 2016.
But he claims this figure fell to 64,214 for the same period this year.
In response to queries on the issue from Ocean FM News, the HSE says there is a slight reduction between both periods Deputy Scanlon refers to.
But the HSE says the total budgeted home help hours for Sligo/Leitrim has increased in 2017 from 425,000 to 443,545 hours
It adds that home help services continue to be allocated to new clients.
It says applications are reviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel who meet weekly and it points out there is currently no waiting list within Sligo/Leitrim area.
