Over 400 people took part in a march from O’Connell Street to Dail Eireann in support of Home Helps.

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The demonstration called by the Home Help/Home Care Action Group – a group established by home-help workers over recent weeks and supported by the People Before Profit Alliance and United Left Alliance.

Speakers at the protest included Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Joe Higgins TD and a number of Home Help workers.

John Lyons, of the Home Help/Home Care Action Group, said 500,000 hours of care have been cut in January, with proposals for a further reduction of 450,000 hours recently announced.

“These are absolutely despicable cuts directly threatening the welfare of our most vulnerable citizens,” Mr Lyons said.

“They must be immediately reversed.

“As a caring society, we should be looking to increase the hours of home help so as to meet the needs of our elderly and disabled citizens rather than constantly attacking what is a critical care service.”

The campaign has held meetings across the country over the last several months and distributed thousands of leaflets and posters to promote the protest.

“The level of support from communities right across the country has been amazing,” Mr Lyons continued.

“People are outraged when they hear what James Reilly and the HSE are doing to the home help service, and many have joined the campaign to help in the fight to have these despicable cuts reversed.”

Richard Boyd Barrett, of People Before Profit/ULA, said everybody concerned about the welfare of the elderly and disabled should support the home help workers.

“These are absolutely despicable cuts directly threatening the welfare of our most vulnerable citizens,” he said.

“A cut of an hour to a half-an-hour of home help can be the difference between the home help being able to properly help an elderly or disabled person have a shower or cook a meal, and not being able to do that.

“This can make an enormous difference to the quality of life for old and disabled people who are often lonely and isolated and really require the human touch that properly motivated home helps provide.

“We urgently need people power on the streets to stop this despicable agenda of cuts and profiteering.”

(Pictures from Rabble)

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Article source: http://richardboydbarrett.ie/2012/10/17/hundreds-take-to-the-streets-over-home-help-cuts/