Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Home support services across the country are being stretched by demands from more people, and for more 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. As a result, not only are we maintaining home care services at 2015 levels, but increasing them in 2016. This will ensure that the HSE will provide 270,000 extra home help hours and 2,000 Home Care Packages more than what was planned for in 2015.

The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to increasing provision for home care in the years ahead. The planning and management of future health expenditure will be considered as part of the annual estimates and budgetary process which seeks to balance available funding across all service areas to achieve the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users.