Deputy Charles Ward highlights home care shortages in Donegal

TD Charles Ward has highlighted the severe shortage of home carers in Donegal while speaking on the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025.

Deputy Ward said the Bill was initially due before the Oireachtas five years ago and repeated delays to its publication have had “a detrimental effect on carers and people who require home care support across the country.”

He said: “The fact that this Bill means that home support in Ireland will be independently regulated for the first time shows a troubling disregard for home support providers and users in this country. I know better than anyone, the danger and the risks that a lack of regulation can pose. I look at it from a unique point of view as somebody who's worked in this sector and somebody who's been a victim of a lack of regulation due to defective concrete.”

The Donegal Deputy said that there is a huge disparity in the level and quality of care geographically due to this absence of regulation.

He said: "In Donegal, for example, where there is a severe shortage in home carers, the quality of service varies massively due to the enormous pressure put on home care workers across the county. According to the HSE, there are nearly 3,000 people receiving home support in Donegal and over 350 people are waiting to avail of home support. Donegal patients are often forced to wait in hospital due to the shortage of home carers. This is completely unacceptable.”

The 100% Redress TD urged the government to ensure the sector is regulated and the quality and consistency of care is raised nationally.

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Deputy Ward stated that he was disappointed that the government seems to be doing so little to address the severe shortage of home carers in rural areas.

He said: “We need to ensure that home support services meet the same minimum standards wherever and however it is provided, whether in Dublin or Donegal. Steps need to be taken to encourage home support providers to continue to provide this service and to encourage more people to work in this sector. We need to go further to ensure that people are supported to stay in their homes as long as possible into the future.”