Speaking ahead of the protest, Home Care Community Action Group spokesperson John Lyons, said: "We've seen the true face of austerity this past month, the supposed "silly season", according to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Fine Gael and Labour, under pressure from their 'troika' paymasters to reduce the health budget, decided to target the disabled, children with life-limiting illnesses and the elderly, those in our community who depend upon personal assistants and home helps in order to live quality, independent and dignified lives. A new low in Irish politics was reached. Shameful."
The rapid reversal by Minister for Health James Reilly and the HSE of the proposed cut of over 400,000 Personal Assistant hours was welcome and showed the power of protest; the cuts to home help hours and home care packages, however, were not reversed.
John Lyons said: "The home care sector has already experienced a drastic reduction this year of some 500,000 home help hours; to once again decide to attack this caring service in order to please the troika with their austerity demands shows that our elected politicians care little for its citizens and a lot for their political masters. The supposed savings from the cuts to home help hours and home care packages will amount to € 12.5 million; contrast this with the fact that on 1st October many, many multiples of that "saving" will be squandered as the government place €1 billion into the bank accounts of senior unsecured bondholders in AIB. Paying off bondholders whilst implementing savage cuts that will have such devastating impacts upon the lives of so many of our most vulnerable citizens? Utter madness which must be resisted. The cuts to home help hours and home care packages must be reversed."
Protest Tuesday 18 September 6pm
Dail Eireann Kildare Street Dublin 2
Called by the Home Care Community Action Group