Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. This year, the HSE consolidated the funding for home help and standard home care packages, which now operate as a single home support service. This new approach will provide significant benefits: the services will be easier to understand; the application and decision-making processes will be streamlined; and it will be easier for people availing of home support to move to changed levels of service as their assessed needs change without the need for an additional application process.

Home support services were a particular area of focus in budget 2018, with an additional €18.25 million allocated. This brought the total funding for home support services to €408 million. As a result, the HSE has been able to increase the provision of home support services. Its national service plan provides for a target of just over 17 million home support hours to be provided to 50,500 people. This represents an increase of 754,000 hours and home support for 500 more people compared to last year. In addition, 235 intensive home care packages will provide 360,000 home support hours for people with complex needs. Earlier this year, a further initiative saw 324 people being provided with home support services in the context of the recent adverse weather events.

The overall budget for home support services for people living in the CHO 2 catchment area increased in 2017 and 2018 and is now just over €43 million. This funding will deliver more than 1.9 million home support hours. During the first three months of this year, 430,832 hours were delivered against a target of 475,893 hours, which is 45,000 hours below target.

Some parts of the country, including CHO 2, are experiencing capacity issues relating to the availability of home care staff. I have been advised by the HSE that CHO 2 is working towards increasing capacity and is committed to providing its targeted hours by year end. With that in mind, CHO 2 is increasing its monthly spend on home support services to ensure delivery of full year service plan targets.

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