Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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16. To ask the Minister for Health the increase in home help hours planned for the Dublin south east and Dún Laoghaire local health areas in 2017. [38052/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to say that overall funding for services for older people has increased to €765 million in 2017 - an increase of €82 million since the HSE’s 2016 Service Plan. This has focused on additional funding for homecare in particular and is aimed at allowing people to continue to live in their own homes and at facilitating discharge of older people from acute hospitals.

The HSE Service Plan 2016 originally provided for 10.4 million hours and 15,450 Home Care Packages. These targets were revised to 10.57 million hours and 16,450 packages as a result of the additional funding announced under the revised Estimates, which included resources for this year’s Winter Initiative.

In a situation where demand continues to grow, challenges remain in managing home care budgets. However, the increased resources provide additional flexibility to managers who are responsible for meeting these challenges in each geographic area within the resources available.

The level of health services to be provided next year, including homecare targets, will be set out in the HSE’s 2017 National Service Plan, which is expected to be finalised shortly.