Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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1693. To ask the Minister for Health the cost of delivering the Sláintecare commitment to establishing a statutory homecare scheme; the timeframe involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34281/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Enabling people with care-needs to continue to live independently at home for as long as possible is a priority for the Government. To advance this, the Government is committed to establishing a new, statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services, which the Department of Health is currently developing.

It is envisaged that the new scheme will provide equitable access to high-quality services based on a person’s assessed care-needs. The new scheme will build on the HSE’s continual enhancement of existing service-provision and on emerging good practice across the current system of health and social care delivery. It will also integrate effectively with other health and social care services, including the Nursing Homes Support Scheme and primary care services.

Work is on-going within the Department to determine the optimal approach to the development of the new scheme within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms. This work encompasses the development of the regulatory framework for the new scheme; the examination of the options for the financing model for the scheme; and the development of a reformed model of service-delivery. 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, it is envisaged that the regulatory framework will encompass primary legislation for the licensing of providers, minimum standards, and national quality standards.

The Sláintecare Implementation Plan commits to the establishment of the statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services by the end of 2021. Work planned in 2020 was adversely affected by the impact of COVID-19 on delivery mechanisms for home-support and by the diversion of resources to respond to the pandemic. This has had an impact on the final timeline for the completion of this ambitious programme of reform.

Nevertheless, the successful development of this scheme remains a key priority for me. In order to accelerate this work, my Department is working closely with the HSE to ensure that the required resourcing—including personnel, governance structures and other requisite resources—are scaled up to ensure that significant progress is achieved by the end of 2021.