David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1145. To ask the Minister for Health the cost of implementing Sláintecare over the next 18 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21459/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In total, €45.5 million has been provided to the Sláintecare Programme Implementation Office to progress Sláintecare priorities in 2020. Apart from the €3.5 million for the operation of the office, the funding has been allocated to the Sláintecare Integration Fund of €20 million, the Enhanced Community Care Fund of €10 million and the Care Redesign Fund of €12 million.

With regard to the Integration Fund, the majority of projects received their first tranche of funding on signing their Grant Agreements (35% of the total grant), with a total of just under €10 million being released in grants to projects thus far.

With regards to the Enhanced Community Care Fund, an extensive document was submitted by the HSE shortly before the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ireland, setting out a model for a reformed approach to primary and community care. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the detailed response to the business case was held to allow all focus to be appropriately placed on the emergency response but was issued this month. The SPIO, the Department of Health and the HSE are now finalising the work on the Enhanced Community Care business case to ensure that recruitment of staff can be in place before year end and the €10million (2020) to €60million (2021) can be committed to.

The HSE have also submitted their Sláintecare Care Redesign Fund proposal so that the Enhanced Community Care Fund (€60million), the Care Redesign Fund (€12million), and the Integration Fund for 2021 (€20million), are being considered at the same time in order to maximise impact. These proposals have been approved in principle at this time.

Further developments relating to Sláintecare in the coming 18 months are being considered as part of the Estimates 2021 process currently. These decisions are likely to be announced on Budget day, October 13th 2020, as part of the annual estimates process.