Dr. Kathleen MacLellan:

We have commenced looking at all the recommendations and looking at those bodies which either have responsibility for their implementation or expertise with regard to them. The National Treatment Purchase Fund, which operates the nursing homes support scheme, is carrying out work on costing and the cost of care. The Health Service Executive is also carrying out work on costing. We in the Department are also looking at costing those recommendations. The cost of some of the recommendations will relate to continuing the supports already in place. Some of that will come through the funding in place to deal with Covid, some we will seek through the Estimates process and some we will seek from Government when the Minister brings the report to it. Significant work on costing has commenced.

Some of the recommendations apply to the short term and it is very urgent that cost not become a barrier to their implementation. Others, particularly those with regard to the model and cost of care, relate to the longer term. There is a significant amount of work to be done in looking at what model of care we want for our older people in future. Part of that will involve working with our colleagues across Government, including those involved in housing, to see how to develop and design, as quickly as possible, a model to support people living in their own homes for as long as possible. Significant work has been done across the HSE in looking at new forms and processes of home care. This work will allow us begin to move towards supporting people living within their own homes much better. I particularly refer to those who need more care than has traditionally been provided through the existing home care support scheme.

Home First is the new model at which we are looking.