Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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562. To ask the Minister for Health the number of home help hours allocated under the home care package in each of the years 2008 to 2016 to date, in tabular form. [19627/16]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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564. To ask the Minister for Health the number of home help hours allocated to recipients of intensive home care packages in each of the years 2014 to 2015 and the estimate for 2016. [19630/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 562 and 564 together.

As these are service matters they have been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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563. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware that funding for the home care package has been fully allocated in County Limerick since April 2016; if and when he will provide extra funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19628/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The HSE’s National Service Plan for 2016 provides for a target of 10.4 millionHome Help Hours to support about 47,800 people. It also provides for 15,450 Home Care Packagesand130 Intensive Home Care Packages for clients with complex needs. A further 60 clients with dementia will be supported with co-funding from Atlantic Philanthropies under the Irish National Dementia Strategy.

Home support services across the country are being stretched by demands from more people, and for more hours at times outside of core hours, in the evenings and at weekends, all of which cost more. Activity in quarter 1 of 2016 was ahead of the same period last year as efforts continued to alleviate pressure on the acute hospital system.

I am delighted that the Government has been able to respond to this demand by providing an extra €40m for home care in 2016. This will ensure that the home support services provided in 2015 are maintained and that the rate of service allocation can be maintained during the summer months. €10m of this money has been ring fenced for home care as part of the new winter initiative. The targets for 2016 will be reviewed in light of these additional resources.

In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.