Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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622. To ask the Minister for Health his views regarding the urgent need to address gerontological care and the requirement for a viable workforce plan in this regard. [14784/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The aim of Government policy is to facilitate older people to stay in their own homes and communities for as long as possible, and to provide residential care services when they are needed. A review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme is currently underway and will be completed very soon. The review, as well as considering how the Scheme operated to date, will also consider broader issues including the future financing of the full range of supports for older people, how community and residential supports and services should be balanced, and how prices are set for residential care.

With regard to strategic workforce planning, Action 46 of Future Healthcommits the Department of Health to work with the HSE to implement an approach to workforce planning and development that achieves the objectives of: recruiting and retaining the right mix of staff; training and upskilling the workforce; providing for professional and career development; and creating supportive and healthy workplaces. This approach will include the development by my Department of a national integrated strategic framework for health workforce planning during 2015.

A cross-sectoral Working Group will be convened to develop the framework in the near future. The Group's deliberations will take into account issues including population ageing and any relevant considerations arising from the review of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme. Consultation with key stakeholders will form part of the Group's work.