Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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251. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware that the home care package is exhausted in County Limerick since April 2016; if he will provide extra funding for same; if so, when he will do this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20260/16]

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 the first quarter 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.