Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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204. To ask the Minister for Health if his statement that the home help scheme is set to move towards the inclusion of some form of co-payment will be clarified; his plans for the home help scheme; the definition of co-payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24587/19]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The Department is currently developing plans for a new statutory scheme and system of regulation for home support services, the introduction of which the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy commits to in 2021.

In preparation for this, the Department published an evidence review undertaken by the Health Research Board of the home care systems that are in place in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Scotland. Another important step in developing the scheme was a public consultation on homecare launched by Minister Harris and myself in 2017 to which approximately 2,600 submissions were received. A report on the findings of this was published in June 2018 and is available on the Department of Health website.

Currently the Department is also engaged in a review of the operation, management and funding of the existing system of home care provision, as well as further examination of the policy goals, objectives and guiding principles of adult home support service in other jurisdictions.

As part of this ongoing work, information in relation to possible funding options is being considered with a view to ensuring that the scheme developed will be sustainable and affordable going forward.