Ms Frances Spillane:

Deputy Murphy asked whether the new scheme for home help would be free to clients. It is a major question that we have to figure out. We have to come up with a scheme that will be as equitable and fair as possible. During the consultation we specifically asked questions on funding in order to get a feel for how people felt about it. We asked if people would be willing to contribute towards the cost of care and, if they were in receipt of services from the HSE, whether they would be willing to supplement them by paying for private care to top up what they were getting. The preliminary analysis reveals that the majority of respondents would be willing to contribute. This shows that there is an understanding of the fact that there are finite resources but it will be a sensitive issue and is one of the main ones we have to develop. The public consultation was launched at the end of May and we had responses from 2,500 people. We have analysed the results from some 1,700 who responded online.

The Deputy also referred to the important role of carers and the need for respite, and this is also a priority. As the Vice Chairman said, things would close down if we did not have the supports which carers provide to older people and vulnerable people in general. I agree that we should not have a one-size-fits-all policy and we are trying, as a priority, to provide a person-centred service as far as possible. We are looking at regulations that are reasonably pragmatic and not overly bureaucratic. Service providers would be regulated as distinct from locations, which is what happens in the case of residential care.