Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 50: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when the Government policy on funding care of the elderly going into the future as announced in the Health Strategy 2001 will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8363/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I gather from the Deputy's question that he is referring to the working group established to examine policy on long-term care. The Mercer Report on the Future Financing of Long-Term Care in Ireland, which was commissioned by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, examined all issues surrounding the financing of long-term care. Following on the publication of this report, a working group chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach and comprising senior officials from the Departments of Finance, Health and Children and Social and Family Affairs was established.

The objective of this group was to identify the policy options for a financially sustainable system of long-term care, including improvements in community care, taking account of the Mercer report, the views of the consultation that was undertaken on that report and the review of the nursing home subvention scheme by Professor Eamon O'Shea. This group presented its report to Government, where it is under consideration. My Department, the HSE and the ICGP are currently working jointly on arrangements to build upon the work undertaken by the GPIT project in the context of the restructuring of the health services and work undertaken under the auspices of my Department and the Health Service Executive to consider the future ICT needs of primary care.