Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1464. To ask the Minister for Health the position of his Department in respect of the Regulation of Homecare paper published by HIQA; if it will be used by his Department to progress the development of the new statutory home support scheme as part of the Sláintecare programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63348/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The HIQA report on the regulation of homecare services makes a valuable contribution to the development of the new statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support. It will further inform progress on the Sláintecare programme, which aims to support people to live in their own homes with dignity and independence, for as long as possible.

The Government is committed to establishing a new, statutory home-support scheme, which the Department of Health is currently developing. The new scheme will provide equitable and transparent access to high-quality services for people based on their assessed care-needs.

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 for home-support services. 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 comprise: (i) primary legislation for the licensing of public and private home-support providers; (ii) minimum requirements (i.e., regulations); and (iii) HIQA National Standards for Home Support Services.

Last year, Government gave approval to draft a General Scheme and Heads of a Bill to establish a licensing framework for home-support providers. This is being progressed by the Department with a view of bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. 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. A regulatory impact analysis will be undertaken by the Department in 2022 to ensure effectiveness and mitigate risks.

The aim is to ensure that service-users are safeguarded and protected, and a responsive, person-centred, quality-driven home-support service is provided. This is central to the Sláintecare objective of providing ‘right care, in the right place at the right time’. The regulations being drawn up by the Department and the standards being drafted by the HIQA both take cognisance of the diverse and often complex needs of those who require homecare and support. 

HIQA has extensive experience in the regulation of social care services and has, in the last 18 months, conducted wide-ranging research into the regulation of home-support services. HIQA ran a public scoping consultation in September to inform the development of National Standards for Home Support Services. HIQA has convened an Advisory Group, with representation from the Department of Health, to assist in the process of developing the Draft National Standards.

In collaboration with HIQA and in consultation with the Health Service Executive and other key informants, the Department has developed draft regulations. A targeted stakeholder consultation on these draft regulations has begun and analysis on feedback will commence in January 2022. This consultation will inform further amendments in advance of a public consultation later in 2022. 

The testing of the reformed model of service delivery for home-support commenced in November 2021 in the first of the four pilot sites, which is in CHO 8. It is envisaged that the three other sites, in CHOs 2, 4 and 7, will be fully operational by January 2022. Funding has been approved for 128 InterRAI Care Needs Facilitators to progress the national rollout of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs. The interRAI outputs and pilot site evaluation will be critical to the development of the new home support scheme.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1465. To ask the Minister for Health the details of the proposed financing model that will be used to fund a statutory scheme for homecare; the way this transition will take place; his views on whether it can be accomplished within budget parameters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63349/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Work is ongoing within the Department of Health to progress the development of a statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services 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 for home-support.

The Department is currently developing the evidence base to determine the optimal approach to a funding model for the scheme. As part of this work, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is undertaking research on behalf of the Department on the potential demand for and cost of home-support. The first report from this research, published in March 2021, focused on the potential demand for such a scheme. The findings contained in the report indicate that there will be a significant increase in the demand for home-support in the coming years and that, relative to a baseline of the provision of 24.7 million hours in 2019, between 3.5 and 8 million additional hours will be required across a range of policy scenarios modelled.

Building on this work, the ESRI is currently undertaking research on the potential cost of introducing such a scheme across a range of funding scenarios. This report is scheduled for publication in Q1 2022. The Department will seek Government approval in due course on any proposed legislation to provide for a funding model for the new home-support scheme, taking into consideration the cost associated with the various options.