Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

242. To ask the Minister for Health if extra resources are being allocated to assist with the backlog of those that have been approved home help hours but cannot get them due to a lack of carers and-or resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44098/18]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Home Support Service is a core service for older people and is highly valued by service users, their families and by the HSE. It provides supports which assist older people to live independently in their own homes for longer and enables large numbers of people to return home following acute hospital admission who otherwise would remain in hospital or would be admitted to long stay residential care. 

Following the recent Budget announcement, the HSE and officials from the Department of Health have commenced the process of developing and agreeing the HSE National Service Plan 2019, which will set out, in detail, the type and quantum of services to be delivered in 2019 including in relation to services for older people. The Service Plan will be developed over, approximately, the next month.