Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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189. To ask the Minister for Health the status of home support and homecare within the plans for Sláintecare; the timelines envisaged for the introduction of a statutory homecare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31041/22]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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190. To ask the Minister for Health if an increased demand for homecare is foreseen as a result of the introduction of statutory homecare; if this has been included in the implementation plans for Sláintecare; the way these policies will be supported by any process carried out by the HSE to tender for the provision of services by provers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31042/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together.

The Programme for Government agreed in 2020 commits the government to ‘Introduce a statutory scheme to support people to live in their own homes, which will provide equitable access to high-quality, regulated home care’.

Consequently, work is on-going within the Department of Health to progress the development of the new statutory scheme for the financing and regulation of home-support services.  Taking place 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.

In 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 is being progressed by the Department with a view to 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.  Development of regulations and quality standards are at an advanced level and public consultation on these draft minimum requirements is planned for Q2 2022.

To enhance the development of the statutory scheme, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) undertook a programme of work on behalf of the Department of Health. On 24th February, the ESRI published a report entitled, Home Support Services in Ireland: Exchequer and Distributional Impacts of Funding Options, examining the anticipated demand for home support due to a statutory scheme and the projected cost of home-support in a range of funding scenarios. 

Further information is available here - www.esri.ie/system/files/publications/SUSTAT111.pdf

With regard to your question on the HSE tender for the provision of services, this is an operational issue and has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to you.