Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1690. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to difficulties being experienced by homecare providers contracted by the HSE in sourcing care workers and the lack of persons coming through as care workers; if he has considered barriers which may be preventing persons from taking up a caring course due to cost; if he will consider providing grants to support persons in entering this area given the demand for homecare and the growing need that is there and will increase in the years ahead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34928/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government (2020) commits to the introduction of “a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, which will provide equitable access to high-quality, regulated home care.” In this regard, the Department is in the process of developing a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support. It is intended that the new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs.

As part of this work, the Department is examining the potential demand and cost of introducing such a scheme. Following this, work will be undertaken to examine the associated workforce requirements for the introduction of such a scheme and my Department will engage with other sectors as required in this regard.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1691. To ask the Minister for Health the number of private homecare providers in the State; the way these companies are regulated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34929/21]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Home care services are not currently formally regulated. Services are delivered either directly by HSE employed staff, or on its behalf by a combination of private and ‘Section 39’ organisations (i.e. voluntary/not-for-profit) providers who operate under service agreements with the HSE. Providers are monitored through Service Level Agreements with the HSE and are required to provide a range of information in relation to the services they provide. There are also home support users who self-fund entirely or who self-fund additional support to supplement the support provided via the HSE. My Department does not have information on the number of private providers of homecare.

However, the Department is currently developing a regulatory framework for home support providers with the aim of ensuring that all service users are provided with a standard, high quality level of care which is safe, effective and person-centred. This framework will comprise (i) primary legislation for the licensing of public and private home support providers; (ii) minimum requirements (regulations); and HIQA National Standards for Home Support Services.

It is expected that the primary legislation will give the Minister for Health the power to make regulations in respect of minimum requirements which will form the criteria against which a provider’s eligibility to hold a licence will be determined.

On 27 April 2021, Government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home support providers. This will be progressed as a priority by the Department with a view to bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity.