John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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515. To ask the Minister for Health the actions and timeframe within which he plans to eliminate the additional home support services waiting list (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37493/18]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Home support services were a particular area of focus in Budget 2018, with an additional €18.25m allocated. The HSE’s 2018 National Service Plan provides for a target of some 17.094m home support hours to be provided to 50,500 people, which compares with last year’s 16.34m hours delivered to 50,000 people (home help and home care package funded hours combined). This is an increase of 754,000 hours to 500 more people. In addition, 235 intensive home care packages will provide 360,000 home support hours for people with complex needs. A further initiative saw 324 people being provided with home support services in the context of the adverse weather.

Despite this significant level of service provision, the demand for home support continues to grow. It is important to note that the allocation of funding for home support across the system, though significant, is finite and services must therefore be delivered within the funding available. In this context, I acknowledge that access to the service may take longer than we would like. However, the HSE monitors the delivery of home support on an on-going basis, to ensure that activity is maximised relative to individual clients’ assessed care needs within the overall available resources for home support and having regard to demand throughout the year. As part of the Estimates process, the Department is actively engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to funding for Older People Services in 2019, including home support services.