Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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513. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline for the establishment of the commission to examine care and supports for older people committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60156/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to supporting healthy and positive ageing throughout the life course as well as to ensuring that older persons can continue to live independently in their homes and communities for as long as possible. At present, this objective is supported by the National Positive Ageing Strategy (2013), which provides a blueprint for whole of government policy making and service delivery in partnership with the community and voluntary sector.

However, acknowledging the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on older persons, the Programme for Government (2020) commits to the establishment of a commission on care that will ‘assess how we care for older people and examine alternatives to meet the diverse needs of our older citizens’, learning the lessons from COVID-19.

Desk based research has been undertaken within my Department in preparation for the establishment of a commission on care. The findings of this initial scoping exercise will inform planning for the commission next year. A proposal for the commission will then be drafted for my consideration.

It is envisaged that the commission will support a whole of government approach to examining the plethora of existing policies and strategies which are of relevance to supporting positive and healthy ageing. Drawing on lessons learnt internationally as well as on stakeholder engagement, it is also anticipated that the commission will make recommendations to effectively address the gaps which currently exist in the policy landscape.