Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Health the timeframe for putting home care on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61354/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health is currently developing a regulatory framework for home-support providers with the aim of ensuring that all service-users are provided with high-quality care. This will comprise of primary legislation for the licensing of home support providers, regulations for home support which will set out the minimum requirements that a provider must meet to obtain a licence, and HIQA national standards. 

The Heads of Bill and Regulatory Impact Analysis are currently being drafted by the Department with a view to bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas at the earliest opportunity. The Department is engaging with key stakeholders in relation to the legislation.

The draft regulations are at an advanced stage informed by a public consultation, which concluded on 4 August. The analysis of submissions has been carried out by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) which demonstrated strong agreement in relation to regulation of home support service provision. A report on the findings of the public consultation is being finalised with a view to publication in due course. Legal advice and engagement with key stakeholders (HIQA, HSE, Private and Voluntary Providers, and service-user representative groups) will assist with final revisions to regulations for providers of home support services in 2023.

In addition to this, HIQA are in the process of developing standards for home care and home support services which will be the focus of a public consultation early next year.

Testing of a reformed model of service delivery for home-support is in progress in four pilot sites. The evaluation phase has commenced, and a final report is expected by Q1 2023.

The HSE has begun the recruitment process for 128 interRAI Care Needs Facilitators to progress the national rollout of interRAI as the standard assessment tool for care-needs in the community. InterRAI standardised outputs will be used to determine prioritisation and levels of care required. This will facilitate effective, efficient, fair and transparent care needs assessment and planning and appropriate service delivery.

The HSE is undertaking a recruitment process for a number of key posts to support and enable the establishment of a National Home Support Office. Funding is provided for 15 full time jobs including 9 Community Healthcare Organisation home support manager/coordinator posts. A Head of Service has been appointed to the new National Home support Office.