Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 31: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the cuts that have taken place in the provision of respite for people who are being cared for in the community in various parts of the country; her views on the effect of these cuts on her stated policy of transferring more treatment from hospital to community care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16260/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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It is Government Policy that Community and Home Based Care should be developed to maintain older people in their communities for as long as possible and to support the important role of the family and informal carer. Respite is a resource that provides a temporary break for a family or an informal carer and it is an important element in the range of community supports available to allow the older person to remain at home. Respite Care may be provided in a community setting e.g. in the person's home or local Day Care Centre or in a residential setting e.g. Community Hospital, Nursing Home etc. or may be provided by way of Home Care Packages.

There has been considerable investment in Community Services over the last number of years, particularly, in the provision of Home Care Packages (which includes provision of Respite Care), Home Help Service and Day Care/Respite.

Home Care Packages focus on older people currently in residential or hospital care, who have the capacity to return to their homes, and on people in the community who are considered to be at risk of requiring residential care in the absence of such intervention.

In 2006 over 7,000 people benefitted from these Home Care Packages including those who availed of respite care as part of a HCP. In 2007 over 10,500 people benefitted from Home Care Packages. In 2008 it is anticipated that over 11,500 will benefit from Home Care Packages including those who avail of respite from this resource which equates to 4,350 packages at a full year cost of €120 million.

It is possible to support these numbers as packages are often not required on an ongoing basis but rather to meet an immediate but often short term need e.g. in the immediate period following return home from hospital while person is regaining his/her normal levels of independence or provision of short term respite care breaks.

Home Help Service

Home Help Services are an important part of the community team and the service plays an important role in supporting older people in particular to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

2005 — 2007: The Home Help budget allocation has increased from €156m in 2005 to €207m in 2007.

2007 — 11.78 million home help hours were provided.

2008 — it is anticipated that 11.98m home help hours will be provided; A total of 54,500 people are expected to benefit from home help services in 2008.

Day Care & Respite Care

In 2008 an additional €3.6m was allocated to day care/respite care. This will provide for 345 new day care places and 2500 weeks of respite care benefiting approximately 1,250 people if each person is allocated 2 weeks respite break. This will bring the projected day care provision to around 21,300 places by the end of this year.

A number of respite services nationally, have advised that for a variety of reasons, including staffing and budgetary reasons they will have to curtail respite services during the summer months particularly. All of these units are re-examining and prioritising bed allocations in the light of current service pressures in their particular areas. The HSE has advised that it is currently reviewing the position in relation to bed closures as a matter of urgency.