John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of additional funding as part of budget 2018 which will be made available for dementia care; the additional number of home care packages which will be provided in 2018; the number of additional dementia advisers and dementia care co-ordinators that will be recruited in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43762/17]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health is working with the HSE to prepare the 2018 National Service Plan. Pending agreement of the National Service Plan, I am not in a position to comment either on the funding that will be made available for dementia care or the specific services that will be provided.

An evaluation of the Dementia Advisers employed by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland has commenced. It would be appropriate to await the outcome of this evaluation before considering the appointment of additional advisers. The National Dementia Office is examining the role of Key Worker for people with dementia, a commitment outlined in the National Dementia Strategy. There are a number of potential models and approaches and the NDO is currently identifying these with a view to determining a suitable approach to this action under the Strategy.

The Department of Health and the HSE are working on a mid-term review of the National Dementia Strategy which will identify the achievements so far and set out the further work that is required to implement the Strategy in 2018 and beyond.