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, and if implemented, will once again severely hit the pay and working conditions of home help workers and will lead to a massive deterioration of the vital service they provide to some of our most vulnerable citizens.

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 that 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 cuts that will have such devasting impacts upon the lives of so many of our most vulnerable citizens? It is utter madness and must be resisted. The cuts to home help hours and home care packages must be reversed.”

The protest action is being called by the Home Care Community Action Group.