Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is possible to say that €28.50 is what is provided to the private providers. It is anticipated that the implementation of the 16 recommendations will have a lasting, positive impact on the waiting lists and recruitment and retention in the sector.

I am pleased to say the HSE has progressed the tender for home support services with the new authorisation scheme anticipated to commence this summer. The authorisation model is open-ended, therefore new entrants to the market may apply to join at any stage, periodically. The authorisation scheme will ensure that home support workers are paid appropriately and will help address some of the key issues impacting the waiting lists and the recruitment and retention issues identified by the strategic workforce advisory group. The scheme will advance sectoral reform and incorporate travel time for home support workers and will address the living wage and reform legacy rates, as recommended by the strategic workforce advisory group. The Government’s policy goal is to deliver a new model of integrated, older persons' health and social care services across the care continuum, supporting older people to remain living independently in their homes and communities for longer.

The Government is committed to supporting healthy and positive ageing throughout the life course. Acknowledging the disproportionately negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older people, the programme for Government commits to the establishment of a commission on care that will assess how we care for older people and will examine alternatives to meet the diverse needs of our older citizens, learning the lessons from Covid-19. An initial scoping exercise for the commission on care has been undertaken. It is envisaged that the commission on care will support a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to examining existing policies and strategies that support positive ageing. It will effectively address the gaps which currently exist in the policy landscape. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, announced in budget 2023 that funding of €5.2 million has been allocated to roll out the initiative nationally. This programme is delivering meaningful outcomes for older people, including hospital avoidance. In addition, under Housing for All: A new Housing Plan for Ireland, a review of the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability scheme is currently under way. Grant limits and income thresholds are being considered as part of this process.

I would like to also mention some of the developments taking place in the disability sector that relate to this motion and more widely to home support. Specialist disability home support services are provided to both children and adults with a wide range of disabilities from physical and sensory disabilities to intellectual disabilities and autism. Over 3 million home support hours are delivered to almost 7,200 people annually. Home support is entirely different from personal assistance support. In this context, services are discretionary, and the number of hours granted is determined in the context of other support services already provided to the person or family.

The programme for Government commits to the introduction of personalised budgets, improving the provision of services for people with disabilities through a range of options including service brokers, and empowering people to choose the supports that most meet their needs. A personalised budget is an amount of funding allocated by the HSE to an eligible person with a disability to enable the individual to make his or her own arrangements to meet specified support needs. The funding qualifies individuals to access a wide range of HSE-funded services, including residential, rehabilitative training, personal assistance and day services.

The personalised budget pilot is open to adults with a disability who are currently in receipt of HSE services, including appropriate school leavers. The 2023 HSE service plan aims to deliver the national personalised budgets demonstrator project to 180 participants. I have granted an extension to the personalised budget pilot until the third quarter of 2023 with the accompanying evaluation process to be completed in the second quarter of 2024. I am aware that officials in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are eager to learn from this pilot in the disability sector to see if it would be appropriate to have a similar initiative in general home support services.

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I propose that the motion not be opposed. We are accepting it.

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