Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

3033. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on the Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024; her plans for any changes to the system for personal assistant hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42918/25]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department of Health are intensively 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 Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill will regulate home support services in Ireland by establishing a registration system for providers of home support services. It will be an offence to operate a service without being registered. Under the legislation, HIQA’s Chief Inspector for Social Services will be the 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 registration if home support providers fail to meet minimum requirements. The objective of the proposed registration 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 key aim of the new regulatory framework for providers of home support services is that all service users will be provided with high quality care, focused on the same minimum standards wherever and however they are provided. 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.

Regarding personal assistance (PA), this is a key service that helps maximise the independence of disabled people in Ireland. The service is funded through the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality (DCDE). Policy for this service is outside the remit of the Department of Health.