Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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845. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on progress to implement the carer’s guarantee as committed to in the programme for Government; if provision will be made for recurring annual funding of €5.6 million in the forthcoming budget to fully implement this important initiative for family carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24335/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government recognises that family carers provide selfless and dedicated care to their loved ones. We also recognise that the caring role can be challenging for carers, particularly in current circumstances. Our family carers deserve support to enable them to continue caring with confidence.

The Programme for Government commits to delivering a ‘Carers Guarantee’ that will provide a core basket of services to carers across the country, regardless of where they live. This commitment is consistent with the National Carers' Strategy, which seeks to support family carers to care with confidence through the provision of adequate information, training, services and supports. In line with this commitment, and as a first step towards implementing the Carers’ Guarantee, €2 million has been allocated in Budget 2021 to provide a more standard package of supports to family carers in every region, in tandem with the community and voluntary sector. Discussions are underway with the HSE to determine how this funding will be allocated.

The level of funding available for the Department of Health in 2022 and the quantum of services to be provided by the HSE will be considered as part of the Estimates and National Service Planning process.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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846. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the development of a refreshed national carers strategy; the timeframe for the delivery of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24336/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland’s National Carers' Strategy is designed around a core vision which recognises and respects carers as key care partners who are supported to maintain their own health and well-being, care with confidence and empowered to participate as fully as possible in economic and social life.

Under the Strategy, a range of measures have been introduced or extended by my Department to support family carers in recent years. Most recently, the Government allocated €2 million in Budget 2021 to advance the implementation of the National Carers' Strategy, with a focus on providing a more standard package of supports to family carers in every region. My Department is currently working on the details of this allocation with the HSE.

The Programme for Government contains a firm commitment to progress the review and update of the National Carers’ Strategy, and this is a priority for me, as Minister for Health. The Strategy update will involve numerous Government Departments other than Health, and my Department is committed to engaging with relevant Departments and all the key stakeholders on the development of the update.

As part of this engagement, my colleague Deputy Mary Butler, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, held a roundtable meeting in September 2020 to hear directly from family carers about their experience of caring, in particular, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. I myself met with representative organisations late last year and further meetings have taken place this year with these organisations both at ministerial and official level. My Department will continue to progress this work during 2021.