Harney criticised for launching private care service

Minister for Health Mary Harney was criticised yesterday for launching a US-franchised private home help service in this State.

The Comfort Keepers franchise will be run by the Elder Healthcare Group which operates four nursing homes here. Its managing director, Austin Power, said Comfort Keepers would create 1,000 part-time jobs by providing non-medical home help to older people and people with disabilities.

Its carers will charge between €18.75 and €22.95 an hour, depending on the level of care being provided.

Siptu national organiser Noel Dowling strongly criticised Ms Harney for promoting the new service while failing to implement agreements with existing home helps employed by health boards.

He said Siptu had agreed with the Health Service Executive in April 2004 that home helps would be given proper contracts of employment, including guaranteed working hours. Their hours currently vary depending on work and budgets.

"It now seems that the reason the agreement has never been implemented is that there were private sector providers waiting in the wings," Mr Dowling said.

"It seems that the Tánaiste and Minister for Health is intent on transposing her enterprise culture from her old department to her new one, regardless of the consequences for health service users or providers."

Labour's health spokeswoman, Liz McManus said it was "completely inappropriate" for Ms Harney to launch the new service.

"She's clearly setting out to undermine the home help system which has given great service over many years," Ms McManus said.

"We have already seen where she has moved to privatise hospitals and A&E services. This is an ideologically motivated decision that has nothing to do with the needs of the health service and everything to do with her espousing the American model of healthcare provision."

Age Action Ireland warned the Government against concentrating on the private healthcare model while neglecting public health services.

Paul Murray, Age Action Ireland spokesman, said there was nothing wrong with private enterprise. "But why do we need an American franchise to provide this type of care? To what extent are we allowing private enterprise to be the driving force in providing healthcare?"

He also asked where the 1,000 part-time workers would come from, given that the Health Service Executive was finding it difficult to recruit adequately trained staff.

However, Ms Harney rejected the criticism, saying it was important that older people had a range of care options.

"I think you need a combination of initiatives. I think we need to be flexible and innovative. The important thing is to have high-quality care," she said.