Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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724. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the progress of funding proposals for the new HSE Home Support Tender 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24098/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Government is committed to promoting care in the community for older people so that they can continue to live in their own homes for as long as possible. Home support is an increasingly important part of the supports we offer to older people and will continue to increase in importance into the future, as our ageing population grows.

The Home Support Service is funded by Government to deliver a volume of service each year as approved in the HSE National Service Plan which is subject to the annual estimates process. It is a non-statutory service and access to the current service is based on assessment of the person’s care needs by the HSE, having regard to the available resources and competing demands for services. Home Support services are provided by both directly employed Healthcare Support Assistants and Approved Providers with service arrangements with the HSE through the tender.

The process of developing the new tender is at an advanced stage. Officials in the Department of Health are engaging at a senior level with the HSE and the HSE has ongoing engagements with home care providers to progress the new tender. No final decisions on the tender content have been reached. As a strict communication protocol applies in all phases of the procurement process it is not possible to discuss specific funding proposals at this time.