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

I am aware of the difficulties being faced in County Meath, just as I am aware of the difficulties being faced by people in counties Louth, Cavan, Donegal and every other county. It is for this reason that we are developing a home care scheme which will ensure we no longer have such a level of need. Demand currently far outweighs resources and capacity and we do not have a statutory framework to ensure the levels of services provided to people in County Meath are the same as those provided to people in County Donegal or any other area. The process of developing the home care service we hope to deliver is under way. Last year, the Department issued a report through the Health Research Board which examined the position in other countries with similar frameworks or population sizes. Following the publication of the report, we will open a public consultation process to allow people from County Meath and all other counties to have their say on what a home care support system should look like.

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