Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the conclusions and recommendations of the long-term care working group established in January 2005; the progress made with their report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43382/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My colleague the Minister for Health and Children and I established the Working Group on Long Term Care in January 2005. The group is chaired by the Department of An Taoiseach and comprises senior officials from the Departments of Finance, Health and Children and my own Department.

The objective of this Group was to identify the basic policy options for a financially sustainable system of long term care, taking account of the Mercer Report, the views of the consultation that was undertaken on that report and the Eamonn O'Shea review. The issues raised in the Carer's Association's 'Towards a Family Carers Strategy' were also included in the Group's deliberations.

The report of the working group which is being considered by Government, influenced not only last year's Budget package but also the commitments in "Towards 2016" and now this year's Budget package both in terms of income support for carers and improvements regarding home support packages and other community based services announced by the Minister for Health and Children.