Seamus Kirk
Question:65. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that there are sufficient resources in place for the fair deal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6931/14]
View answerThursday, 13 February 2014
Questions (65)
Written answers
The needs of our older people are, and will remain, a very high priority for me and for the Government, and the resources that are available will be applied to provide the best possible mix of supports and services.
The Budget for long-term residential care in 2014 is €939m, a reduction of €35m on the 2013 position. The funding that is available for services for older people must be balanced across all of the various service areas in a way that achieves the best possible outcomes for the greatest number of service users and prioritises areas of greatest need as far as possible.
The priority for 2014 is the development of an integrated model of care with a strong emphasis on home care and other community services. This is seen as a first step in aligning the model of care more towards the community, in line with Government policy and the expressed wishes of older people. In this regard, €23m has been transferred from the Nursing Homes Support Scheme budget to community services.
This €23m will be used as follows:
- €10m to provide 190 Intensive Home Care Packages (IHCPs) to benefit 250 people annually.
- €3m to commission 25 intermediate/transitional care beds to benefit 650 people & 20 beds for complex cases to benefit 130 people.
- €10m to address funding shortfalls in the provision of public short stay beds, maintaining current provision of 1,860 beds.