Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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271. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to increase funding for home support in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52439/19]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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In line with Programme for Government commitments we have made improved access to home support services a priority. We have committed to an additional investment of €52 million in Budget 2020 for home supports and next year the HSE plans to deliver over 19.2 million hours of home support. This represents a substantial increase of 1 million hours more than this year’s target.

This investment is focused on enabling older people to remain at home and reducing the current waiting lists for the service being experienced in almost all areas. As appropriate, provision of hours will also be targeted at times of peak demand in Winter 2019-2020, at the beginning and end of the year, to ensure more timely egress from hospital for our older citizens.

The HSE National Service Plan 2020 has been submitted and is under consideration in my Department. The allocation of hours and targets to Community Healthcare Organisations is currently underway and will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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272. To ask the Minister for Health if a substantial increase in funding will be ensured for home support hours in counties Cavan and Monaghan in 2020 in view of delays in having such support provided for patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52440/19]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.