Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Malcolm Byrne for raising this important matter and for giving the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, the opportunity to respond with more detail on the status of the €100 million package. I would like to say that the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, was delighted to secure the €100 million additional funding this year. It will provide a one-off non-pay inflation support payment to community-based voluntary organisations. These organisations are funded through the HSE to deliver a range of health and social care services on behalf of the HSE to communities throughout the country. This includes residential, day and ancillary services for people with a disability, older people, mental health services, palliative care services, addiction services and other health and social care services provided in the community. The Minister is very aware that many of these organisations are experiencing significant inflationary pressures as a result of increasing energy, heating and related costs.This fund is being made available in recognition of the challenges being faced by the sector in delivering and maintaining these key health and social care services. I hope it will provide the much-needed support to assist them in maintaining these important services.

Officials in the Department of Health are currently working on finalising a plan that will ensure the fund is allocated in a fair and transparent manner. It is proposed that the fund will be administered by the HSE, utilising the mechanism in place for funding eligible organisations in receipt of service level and grant aid agreements. As these arrangements are already in place with organisations, this will ensure that payments are processed and disseminated in a speedy and timely fashion. It is the Minister for Health's intention that payments will be made as soon as possible within the next month and that all payments will be made by the year end. Once the aforementioned plan has been finalised, the Minister will set out in detail the scope and mechanisms around the payments to these organisations, subject to the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Department of Health officials will continue to engage directly with their colleagues in the HSE to ensure that these payments are made as soon as possible.

Funding will be allocated through the established mechanism of the temporary assistance payment scheme to providers of long-term residential care who participate in the nursing home support scheme. This will ensure that payments can be made quickly and I have no doubt that this will be very much welcomed by the sector. I again thank the Senator for raising this matter.