Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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23. To ask the Minister for Health when the urgent funding will be allocated for a full time palliative care social worker in Longford-Westmeath, considering the willingness of a hospice (details supplied) to fund the position for three years and the acknowledgement of the HSE in 2012 that this position is essential and that it would be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30300/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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It is the Government's intention that people will be provided with the type of palliative care services that they need regardless of what diagnosis they have, how old they are or whether they die in a hospice, an acute hospital, a nursing home or at home.

Significant progress has been made in recent years in improving access to specialist palliative care services. Several new hospices have opened and community specialist palliative care home care teams have been boosted. The HSE is working with local hospice groups in several locations, including the Midlands, to ensure equity of access to specialist palliative care across the country.

I am pleased to confirm that the HSE has given approval to fill the palliative care social worker post in Longford/Westmeath for a period of three years. North Westmeath Hospice has agreed to fund the post for the three year period. The post is currently with the HSE's National Recruitment Service and is expected to be filled early in 2017.

I am informed by the HSE that the Chief Officer of CHO 8 has had a series of positive engagements with the Hospice organisations across the Midlands counties and has made progress on priorities such as the filling of social work and nursing posts in the specialist palliative care home care teams. A joint working group has also been established by CHO 8, the acute hospitals in the Midlands, and the national lead for palliative care to address the unique challenges the Midlands region faces in seeking to develop specialist palliative care. This joint working group will focus on developing staffing and capital resources in the Midlands in the coming years.