A Leitrim councillor is claiming the only home help time now available to people in the county is half an hour.
And he says that can only be got it’s taken from someone else.
Independent Councillor Enda Stenson says it’s not only not good enough, it’s also wrong.
Cllr Stenson told this week’s meeting of Leitrim County Council that a half-hour for a home help worker to assist a person is simply not sufficient.
He says an hour is needed at least.
Cllr Stenson says we hear much about rural isolation.
But he felt many people were capable of staying in their own homes if they got a bit of help.
And with the cost of taking people into care, he says he cannot understand why the HSE would go down this route.
Council Chairperson Fianna Fail Councillor Mary Bohan says she knows of cases where people get only 15 minutes home help and, in some cases, carers spend an hour with the people and are not geting paid for it.
Cllr Stenson says he does not think the home home car plan for old people is fit for purpose and he gave an example of how the situation is now affecting those who need help:
