Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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173. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider the pre-budget submission from an organisation (details supplied) regarding the urgent need to develop a dementia specific counselling service to support family carers and people living with dementia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27320/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Since I became Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health and Older People in 2020, I have worked with the Government to progressively increase funding for dementia services and supports so that everyone with dementia and their families have the supports that they need to live as well and as independently as possible.

Last May, the HSE published its comprehensive Model of Care for Dementia, which addresses the needs of all people living with dementia and sets out care pathways to advance timely diagnosis and post-diagnostic support and care for them and their carers.

To implement the Model of Care, the Government has funded the establishment of Memory Assessment and Support Services, Regional Specialist Memory Clinics and a variety of post-diagnostic supports for people living with dementia. There are now 29 Dementia Advisers providing a service in every county. They play a crucial role engaging with people with dementia, their families and carers to provide free and confidential supports and signposting to help connect with essential services, often at a time of crisis.

In addition to this, the 2020 Programme for Government made a commitment to delivering a ‘Carers’ Guarantee’ in order to provide a core basket of services to carers across the country, regardless of where they live. Since 2021, annual recurring funding of €2 million has been provided towards delivering the Carers’ Guarantee. €1.9 million of this funding is being channeled through a Service Level Agreement with Family Carers Ireland across five areas of activity: community carer supports, intensive and emergency supports, education and training; Family Carers Ireland’s freephone careline and psychosocial supports. The remaining €100,000 is supporting the operation of a professionally moderated online Family Carer Support Group through Care Alliance Ireland.

The Department of Health will consider this request in relation to the need to expand dementia specific counselling services further in order to support family carers and people living with dementia, as part of the wider 2025 Estimates process.