Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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317. To ask the Minister for Health if he will allocate annual funding of €3.2 million in budget 2020 to an organisation (details supplied) to assist it in the delivery of vital core services to carers nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38471/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the 2012 National Carers' Strategy, a range of measures have been introduced or extended by the Department of Health and other departments to support family carers. Funding has been secured for information and training supports for family carers, the development of support networks and support groups to assist with the transition back into social and economic life at the end of the caring role and measures that assist in promoting carer self-identification. In 2016 and 2017, continued payments after the death of the cared for person or their permanent move into residential care or a nursing home was extended from 6 weeks to 12. Since September 2018, free GP visit cards have been extended to persons in receipt of the Carer’s Allowance.

The level of funding available for the Department of Health in 2020 and the quantum of services to be provided by the HSE will be considered as part of the national Estimates and budgetary process and National Service Planning.