Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Question 204: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she has taken to make personal care packages available for the elderly, in particular the level of funding provided to the Health Services Executive for personal care packages and for home help. [37985/05]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy. In any event, the level of resources available to the HSE for the delivery of personal care packages will be discussed between the Department of Health and Children and the HSE in the near future.

The Government is committed to developing the various community and home support schemes, which are vital to maintain older people in their own homes for as long as possible. Long-stay nursing care should only be a last option in care planning for older people with the community supports acting as a real support for older people who wish to live in dignity and independence in their own community. The Deputy may wish to note that one of the initiatives taken under the ten-point plan with regard to care of older people is that additional home care packages and enhanced subvention have facilitated the discharge of more than 430 patients in the Dublin area.