Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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212. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to have the provision of home care by families included in the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2335/17]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Government policy is to promote care in the community for older people so that they can continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible and long-term nursing care should be a last resort after home support and other community based supports have been exhausted.

However, the main statutory scheme of care for older people is the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), which is confined to residential care.

The Department of Health has commenced examination of options to bring greater national consistency to the regulation and financing of home care. It is considered that the best option for the future may be a statutory home care scheme specifically designed for home care. A review by the Health Research Board of how home care is regulated and funded in comparable jurisdictions, commissioned by the Department in 2016, will be finalised shortly and will be used to inform the development of policy proposals for the regulation and funding of these services.