Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which we know is extremely important from the questions which were asked during Question Time. Our population is ageing rapidly. Advances in health care are leading to a dramatic rise in our older population. Each year, the total number of persons over the age of 65 grows by approximately 20,000. We can see what the figures will be in the coming years. There is now a stronger emphasis on home care and other community services which provide a greater range of options to avoid admission to acute hospitals, support early discharges and, where appropriate, rehabilitate and re-able patients after periods of particular difficulty. Older people have consistently said that they want to stay in their own homes and communities for as long as possible and the Government is committed to facilitating this. As Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I am committed to facilitating this as much as possible. Home care services are key to achieving this and the strengthening of home care services is an objective to which the Government is committed. The HSE provides a range of community-based services aimed at ensuring that older people receive safe, timely and appropriate care and treatment at the lowest level of complexity and as close to home as possible. The HSE's national service plan for 2016 provides for a target of 10.4 million home help hours to support approximately 47,800 people. It also provides for 15,450 home care packages and 130 intensive home care packages for clients with complex needs. A further 60 clients with dementia will be supported with co-funding from Atlantic Philanthropies under the Irish national dementia strategy.

Notwithstanding the significant improvements in the overall economic position that we have seen in recent times, pressures continue to apply across the health service. Services are being stretched by demands from more people and for more hours at times outside core hours, in the evenings and at weekends, all of which costs more. The Government has been able to respond to this demand by providing an extra €40 million for home care services in 2016. As I told the Deputy's colleague, the HSE is engaging with local community health organisations, CHOs, to establish how that funding can best be divided and spent. Those most in need must receive it first. I hope this will happen as quickly as possible. If the Deputy wishes to keep in touch, I will be in regular contact with the HSE to determine when that funding will be passed down. The targets for 2016 will be reviewed in the light of the provision of these additional resources.

There is always more that could be done in these crucial areas, but this represents a step in the right direction. I am delighted that the Government has been able to respond to the increased demand for services by providing additional funds. The allocation of these funds in the most appropriate way is a priority for the HSE. Prudent management of available resources is needed as demand for services increases. The HSE will continue to work to apply the available resources to target those in the greatest need most effectively and provide the best possible contribution to the system as a whole.

There is no doubt that home care services need more resources than are available. For this reason, the programme for Government commits to increasing funding for home care packages and home help services year on year in the coming period. I cannot give the Deputy an exact figure, but I will seek as much funding as it is physically possible to increase the figures he outlined.

Respite care services are of the utmost importance, not just for the individual who needs care but also for carers who are among the most important people in our society, something we might not recognise enough. Sometimes, respite care provision is the only break they get. We must see an increase in funding in line with that for home care packages.

On the issue of dementia, the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, and I have met the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. I have met it several times independently. We are working with it on how we can increase funding and provide specific dementia care packages for dementia sufferers.

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