Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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777. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on plans to regulate home care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25967/25]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health has been focused on the development and implementation of a regulatory framework for providers of home support services. This will ensure that all service users are provided with high-quality, regulated home support services. The new system of regulation for home support will instil confidence in the public that the services provided are of a high standard and bring Ireland in line with best international practice.

The Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill will regulate home support services in Ireland by establishing a licensing system for providers of home support services, under which it will be an offence to operate a service without a license. Under the legislation, HIQA’s Chief Inspector for Social Services will be the licensing authority with responsibility for monitoring and assessing compliance with regulations and HIQA national standards. The Bill will confer on HIQA, the authority to grant, amend and ultimately revoke a license if home support providers fail to meet minimum requirements.

The objective of the proposed licensing system is to improve the safety and quality of home support services by ensuring that registered home support providers do not operate below the standard set by Ministerial regulations. Those regulations are to be applied in a consistent and systematic way. The development of a regulatory framework for providers of home support services will ensure that all service users are provided with high quality care with the same minimum standards wherever and however it is provided.

The legislation to establish a licensing framework for home support providers is at an advanced stage with publication of the legislation a priority in the Summer Legislative session. The General Scheme is currently with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for final drafting. Department officials are working closely with counterparts in OPC to finalise the Bill with a view to presenting to Cabinet in July 2025 ahead of publication and initiating in the Dáil.