Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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587. To ask the Minister for Health his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the needs of carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20519/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Objective 1.1 of the National Carers Strategy is to strengthen awareness of the role and contribution of carers at national, regional and local level. An action area within that objective is to ensure that carers' needs are considered in the development of any policies that might affect them (such as the Review of Disability Policy, the National Positive Ageing Strategy, and the Children and Young People's Policy Framework 2012-2017.

The needs of those who care for people with disabilities have been taken into account in the development of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services and related policy documents and will continue to be taken into account during implementation of the Review’s recommendations. Consultation with stakeholders, including carers, was a key element of the development of these policy initiatives, and this will continue to be the case. For example, carers were included in recent consultations on draft interim day service standards for people with disabilities which are nearing finalisation. Families and carers are also an integral part of the consultation and planning process for the transition of people living in congregated settings to community living. The provision of respite services is a vital part of the continuum of services which the HSE provides to support the families of people with disabilities. This year 5,274 people with a disability are expected to avail of residential centre-based respite services, utilising 190,003 bed nights, and increasing use is being made of newer and more innovative forms of non-centre-based respite services.

The National Positive Ageing Strategy notes that 80% of the main caregivers to people over the age of 50 are themselves aged 50 or over and approximately 20% of these are over 65. It states that Ireland's ageing population, coupled with medical advances in relation to disability and chronic illness, will result in more older people being cared for in the community in the years ahead. Under National Goal 2 of the Strategy which is to support people as they age to maintain, improve or manage their physical and mental health and wellbeing, Objective 2.3 explicitly stresses the need to recognise and support the role of carers by implementing the National Carers' Strategy.

The vital role of carers is also explicitly acknowledged in the recently published National Dementia Strategy (2014) which states that carers are the cornerstone of care for people with dementia living in the community. Carers' needs are accordingly prioritised throughout the Strategy. Section 6 of the Strategy focuses on integrated services, supports and care for people with dementia and their carers, and a number of the priority actions relate to the supports that need to be available both to people with dementia and to their carers to enable them to continue in their caring role. These include home care packages, respite care and access to information on available services and supports. The HSE has set up a National Dementia Strategy Implementation Office to bring forward implementation of the Strategy.

The needs of young carers are recognised in the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020 Better Outcomes Brighter Futuresin light of the potential vulnerability of children and young people with caring responsibilities. The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has recently engaged with the Carer's Association in the development of the draft National Youth Strategy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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588. To ask the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20562/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The 2012 National Carers’ Strategy sets the strategic direction for future policies, services and supports provided by Government Departments and agencies for carers.

It sets out a vision to work towards and an ambitious set of National Goals and Objectives to guide policy development and service delivery to ensure that carers feel valued and supported to manage their caring responsibilities with confidence and are empowered to have a life of their own outside of caring.

Objective 1.1 of the Strategy is to strengthen awareness of the role and contribution of carers at national, regional and local level. An action area within that objective is to promote more proactive approaches to the identification of carers and to addressing their needs among staff and organisations that are likely to encounter individuals in caring situations (e.g. health and personal social service providers, and particularly primary care team members, community and education professionals).

Within the Community Health Organisations (CHO) arrangements for care needs assessments are made as appropriate through the multi disciplinary primary care teams, public health nursing service, multi disciplinary (hospital & community) home care committees, and local placement fora (for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme). Input from a carer as appropriate i.e. with the service user’s permission; is integral to ensure that both informal and formal care is taken into account to ensure a holistic care package is developed.

In March 2014 the HSE launched ‘The Integrated Care Guidance: A practical guide to discharge and transfer from hospital’. Within the guide there are 9 steps for effective discharge planning and transfer from hospital to community healthcare settings. These include steps which specifically outlines the involvement of the service user and carers so they can make informed decisions and choices for future care.

In parallel to the on going work with the Single Assessment Tool, the HSE working with Irish Carers organisations and interRAI have finalised a draft Carers Need Assessment questionnaire. The draft is being further refined by interRAI and it is hoped to conduct a pilot in Ireland followed by a larger international field trial. This is a significant development for the HSE and carers.

The HSE has established a cross-divisional working group to examine all of the health related actions in the Strategy and this will include actions promoting more proactive identification of carers and their role in care planning subject to the consent of the service user.

With regard to education professionals, the Department of Education & Science actively participates in and supports the National Carers Strategy and is cognisant of the needs of the broad range of needs of carers within the education system be they parents or guardians of students therein or students with caring responsibilities themselves.

A core aim of DES policy in the school system is to provide a safe supportive and vigilant environment in which pupil learning and personal development can be nurtured. The core focus in this regard is, on the one hand, the promotion of positive mental health generally and, on the other, the identification and support of those pupils with a broad range of problems relating to their behavioural, emotional and social development. Supports are delivered via curricular programmes (SPHE, PE, etc), whole school policies (anti-bullying, R.S.E., substance misuse, etc) and by direct intervention through the class teacher, guidance counsellor, pastoral care structure assisted by a range of outside agents, including those within the education community.

Engagement with carers, especially carers of pupils with special educational, social or emotional needs, by the range of educational professionals is welcomed and encouraged relating to policy formulation, consent, advice, guidance, intervention and in some situations onward referral to other services.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government supports the Community and Voluntary Sector in its contribution to an active, democratic and pluralist society, including the role of carers and the support they provide.

The funding Scheme to Support National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary sector along with the associated Bridging Funding Scheme provides multi-annual funding to national organisations towards core costs associated with the provision of services. (Among the organisations funded through these mechanisms are The Care Alliance, Caring for Carers Ireland and The Carers Association).

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government also manages the Seniors Alert Scheme, which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by more than 900 local community and voluntary groups with the support of the Department.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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589. To ask the Minister for Health the opportunities available for carers to be involved in care planning and provision by health and personal social service providers, and particularly by the primary care team; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20743/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The 2012 National Carers’ Strategy sets the strategic direction for future policies, services and supports provided by Government Departments and agencies for carers.

It sets out a vision to work towards an ambitious set of National Goals and Objectives to guide policy development and service delivery to ensure that carers feel valued and supported to manage their caring responsibilities.

Objective 1.2 of the Strategy is to include carers in care planning and decision making for those that they care for.  An action area within that objective is to involve carers, as appropriate as partners in care planning and provision by health and personal social service providers and particularly by the primary care team.

Within the Community Health Organisations (CHO) arrangements for care needs assessments are made through the multi-disciplinary primary care teams, public health nursing service, multi-disciplinary (hospital & community) home care committees, and local placement fora (for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme) as appropriate. Input from a carer (with the service user’s permission), is integral to ensure that both informal and formal care is taken into account to ensure a holistic care package is developed.

In addition, in March 2014 the HSE launched ‘The Integrated Care Guidance: A practical guide to discharge and transfer from hospital’.  Within the guide there are 9 steps for effective discharge planning and transfer from hospital to community healthcare settings. These include steps which specifically outline the involvement of the service user and carers so they can make informed decisions and choices for future care.

The HSE established a cross-divisional working group to examine and progress all of the health related actions in the Strategy, which will include the actions regarding the involvement of carers with health professionals in the development of care plans.