Vol. 531 No. 1
99 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to overcome the problem of incontinence pads shortages which is a regular concern of carers and the lack of home help facilities and personal assistants. [5068/01]
Arrangements for the supply of incontinence pads to medical card patients living in the community are a matter for the relevant health board. With regard to non-medical card holders, incontinence products which are genuine incontinence products and which are not advertised to the public are reimbursable under the drugs payment scheme.
Government policy in relation to the care of older people is to maintain them in their own homes for as long as possible and the role played by home helps is vital to the success of this policy. Following the publication of the report entitled "The Future Organisation of the Home Help Service in Ireland" by the National Council on Ageing and Older People, I made available a total of £2.280 million to the health boards between 1999 and 2000 to expand and develop the home help service and provide appropriate training for home helps as recommended in the report. I am pleased to inform the House that a further £2 million has been allocated in 2001 to provide home help services to more people and/or more hours for existing clients.
In the 2001 budget, an additional £12 million, rising to £24 million in the year 2002, was announced for the development of services to people with physical and sensory disabilities. It was decided that, of this, £5 million, rising to £10 million in the year 2002, would be targeted at home supports, including £2.5 million, with a full year cost of £6 million, for personal assistance services. This means that over the next two years, funding is being provided for an additional 312 personal assistants to provide a service to approximately 230 clients. Including the £10.5 million already invested in these services since 1997, a total of £20.5 million ongoing funding is being made available for the home support services, including personal assistance services.
