Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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19. To ask the Minister for Health the plans in place to improve and expand health services for older people in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61176/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Next year the overall funding available to the HSE for Older Persons will exceed €2.4 billion. This includes nearly €1.1 billion for Fair Deal.  This represents an increase an overall increase of 25% since 2020.

I have secured additional investment of almost €12m for new measures next year. The Healthy Age Friendly Homes initiative will be rolled out nationally and the Meals on Wheels service will be expanded at a time when the most vulnerable need these services most.  A wide range of core services will be provided for older persons including home support, day care, community supports in partnership with voluntary groups and intermediate care as well as long-stay residential care when remaining at home is no longer feasible.

In line with our Programme for Government commitment the continued expansion of home care hours and progressing development of a statutory scheme for the regulation and financing of home support services is a key priority in 2023.  So too, is the establishment of the National Home Support Office.  I am pleased to say that the dementia-specific proportion of new home support hours will increase from 5% in 2021 to 15% in 2023. 

The National Service Plan 2023 has been submitted for Minister Donnelly’s approval.  This is under consideration. Once approved, it must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas within 21 days. The HSE will then ensure its publication at the earliest possible time. 

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the provision of a community neuro-rehabilitation team in CHO 6; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61027/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Executive is leading on the implementation framework in respect of the recommendations of the National Policy and Strategy for the provision of Neuro-Rehabilitation Services in Ireland 2011-2015.

The Implementation Framework for the Neurorehabilitation Strategy was launched in February 2019, and provides guidance for the development of specialist neurorehabilitation services across the continuum of care – from acute, to post-acute and community services.

The overarching aim of the Strategy is the development of neuro-rehabilitation services to improve patient outcomes by providing safe, high quality, person-centred neuro-rehabilitation at the lowest appropriate level of complexity. This must be integrated across the care pathway, and provided as close to home as possible or in specialist centres where necessary. These services are to be configured into population based managed clinical rehabilitation networks (MCRNs). The overarching aim is the development of population based MCRN’s around the country. 

As part of the MCRN demonstrator project, funding was provided for the establishment of a Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Team in CHO 6. The team has been funded for 5 WholeTime Equivalents,  as follows: 1 x Senior Physiotherapist, 1 x Senior Occupational Therapist, 1 x Senior Speech and Language Therapist, 1 x Senior Clinical Psychologist, 1 x Administrative Support In CHO 6.

The Community Neuro-rehab Team (CNRT) will be based in Bray, Co Wicklow and recruitment is imminent.