Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 February 2023
154. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the expected timelines on the establishment of a commission of care for aging and older people; the way he intends to scope and plan for such a commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7519/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to supporting healthy and positive 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 will be further advanced as a priority.
