Fianna Fáil senator backs Harney's home-help cuts

Pearse Doherty

DONEGAL Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty has accused Fianna Fáil Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill of false accusations and name calling while defending his government’s cuts to home-help services in County Donegal.
The public row erupted after Pearse Doherty exposed in the Seanad that nearly 30,000 home-help hours are to be cut in the county over the course of a year.
Senator Doherty said:
“Senator Ó Domhnaill’s decision to back Harney and Cowen over hundreds of elderly Donegal people, who have had their home-help supports cut or are faced with threatened cuts, is shameful.
“Senator Ó Domhnaill accuses me of scaring old people after first raising this issue in the Seanad with the minister and then claims that bringing it into the public domain is a sign of desperation.
“The reality of the situation is that home-help services are being cut across the county and any politician with their finger on the pulse of their communities should know this.
“When I raised this matter with the minister in the Seanad I was informed that the HSE currently budgets for 52,000 hours of home-help in the county per month but carers are delivering 54,246 to meet demand. I have since received confirmation that, over the rest of the year, these hours will be cut down to 52,000 per month.
“It is not I who is scaring our old people by standing up for our elderly and campaigning to have these cuts reversed. It is this Fianna Fáil Government’s decision that has scared them.”

DEFEND THE ELDERLY
The Sinn Féin senator said that families across Donegal are rightly concerned as they see hours reduced for their fathers or mothers, neighbours or close friends.
“They are angry that after all that our elderly gave to our country that they are been treated like this in their latter years.
“Senator Ó Domhnaill should stop the name calling and join with me in standing up and defending our elderly. He should not choose to defend Harney and Cowen over hundreds of vulnerable Donegal senior citizens.
“Then again, maybe that is too much to ask. After all, it is his own party that has decided to cut home-help services in Donegal. For my part, no amount of name-calling will deter me from fighting for better service for our elderly.”