Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Scanlon for raising this important issue. I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague Deputy Jim Daly, the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people. The Government's core objective is to promote care in the community so that people can continue to live with confidence, security and dignity in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. A wide range of services are provided, including home supports, day care and residential care, through direct service provision and through voluntary and private providers.

Improving access to home support is a priority for the Government. Over the past four years we have seen a considerable increase of nearly €140 million in the budget, which has grown from €306 million in 2015 to almost €446 million in 2019. More than 53,000 people will receive more than 18 million home support hours this year, including intensive home care packages to 235 people. Despite this significant level of service provision, the demand for home support continues to grow. The allocation of funding for home supports throughout the system, though significant, is finite and services must be delivered within the funding available.

Preliminary data indicates that during the first quarter of the year 4.2 million hours were delivered nationally, 4,411 new clients commenced the service and 6,238 people have been assessed and are waiting for either new or additional home support services. I acknowledge that in some cases access to the service may take longer than we would like. However, the HSE has assured the Department that people on a waiting list are reviewed as funding becomes available to ensure that individual cases continue to be dealt with on a priority basis within the available resources and as determined by the local front-line staff, who know and understand the clients' needs and who undertake regular reviews of those care needs to ensure the services being provided remain appropriate.

The allocated home support budget for community healthcare organisation area 1, which covers Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo in 2019 is €44.3 million. This is an increase of approximately €4.5 million on last year’s allocated budget. While the overall aim is to be as responsive as possible to all applications, delays can occur. According to the HSE, currently the home support budget for the Sligo, Leitrim and west Cavan region is experiencing demand in excess of the funding available. Preliminary data shows 205 people are waiting for new or additional hours. In this context, those clients who are assessed and who are not provided immediately with a service are prioritised based on the clinical assessment and are placed on a waiting list for a resource as it becomes available. The number of people waiting for funding for home support services reflects a point in time. While the existing home support service is delivering crucial support to many people throughout the country, it is acknowledged that the service and access to the service need to be improved to better meet the changing needs of our citizens. This is why we intend to establish a statutory scheme for home support services that will improve access to the service on an affordable and sustainable basis while also introducing a system of regulation that will ensure public confidence.

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