Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 296: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to introduce an automatic right to an assessment of need for older people as was recommended in the recent national economic and social forum report on care for older people. [7147/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the NESF report on care for older people was launched on 29 January 2006. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children and I have received copies, as have officials in the Department, and we will consider the report in the context of overall policy development around services for older people.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Brennan, established a working group to identify the policy options for a financially sustainable system of long-term care, including improvements in community care and home care packages. The report of the working group on the future financing of long-term care has been presented to Government and is being considered by Cabinet.