Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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689. To ask the Minister for Health what progress is being made in appointing an Independent Commissioner for Ageing and Older People; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22985/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to supporting healthy, active, and autonomous ageing as well as to ensuring that older persons can continue to live independently in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

Acknowledging the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on older persons, the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future (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.

In 2022 preliminary desk research was undertaken within the Department of Health in preparation for the establishment of a commission on care. In 2023 the scoping and planning for the commission on care are being further advanced as a priority. While the scope of the commission has yet to be finalised, it is envisaged that consideration of matters such as whether there is a need to establish an independent commissioner for ageing and older people will fall within the commission’s remit.