Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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136. To ask the Minister for Health if he will create a statutory entitlement to community care services, including home helps and home care packages, as recommended in the Seanad Éireann report on the rights of older people of March 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38481/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The creation of a statutory entitlement would not be possible in this context as services can only be provided in line with the resources that are available. It is my objective to ensure that available resources are deployed to achieve the best possible outcomes for older people.

In 2014 the budget of €315m for home help and home care services was augmented with an extra €23m, redirected from the provision for residential care, to strengthen the community provision and to develop new and more flexible approaches to community-based care.

The current review of the Nursing Home Support Scheme will include consideration of the way that residential and community care are currently balanced, and whether new approaches to financing community care would be appropriate.