Written answers

Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Department of Health

Palliative Care Services

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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694. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to improve palliative care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16968/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland’s national policy on palliative care for patients and families is contained in the 2001 Report of the National Advisory Committee on Palliative Care. The policy was developed at a time when specialist palliative care was at a relatively early stage of development in Ireland and emphasises the structures and staffing required for specialist palliative care services in hospices, acute hospitals and the community. Notwithstanding its longevity, our national policy on palliative care continues to be highly regarded internationally. The 2015 Quality of Death Index report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which measures the current environment for end-of- life care services across 40 countries, ranked Ireland fourth in the world.

Demand for adult palliative care has greatly increased since 2001. Around 30,000 people in Ireland die each year. CSO mortality projections suggest there will be about 38,000 deaths in Ireland in 2031, rising to 54,000 per year by 2050. Due to our aging population and as more people with life-limiting illnesses live longer, our country faces the challenge of ensuring high quality palliative care is available to increasing numbers of people with life-limiting conditions, in all settings. Against this background, the Programme for Government commits to publish a new Palliative Care Policy for Adults by mid-2021 to update the 2001 policy.

In line with the Programme for Government, it is intended to open new hospices in Mayo, Waterford and Wicklow this year and expand an existing service in Kildare, which will see an additional 55 new beds coming on stream. In the coming years, the Government is committed to progressing the development of a further three hospices, in the midlands, Cavan and Drogheda. When these developments are in place, there will be a hospice serving every region in the country.

Ensuring children with life-limiting conditions can access palliative care services to help them have a good quality of life is very important to me as Minister for Health. In this regard, I welcome the commitment in the Programme for Government to increase resources for the Children’s Palliative Care Programme. This will be supported by consultants with a special interest in children’s palliative care and children’s outreach nurses to coordinate care for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

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