Michael McCarthy
Question:913. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the implementation of the National Carers' Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33463/14]
View answerWednesday, 17 September 2014
Questions (913)
Written answers
The National Carers’ Strategy was published in July 2012 and sets the strategic direction for future policies, services and supports provided by Government Departments and agencies for carers.
It sets out a vision to work towards and an ambitious set of National Goals and Objectives to guide policy development and service delivery to ensure that carers feel valued and supported to manage their caring responsibilities with confidence and are empowered to have a life of their own outside of caring.
The Strategy also contains a Roadmap for Implementation with a suite of actions and associated timelines, and identifies the Government Department responsible for their implementation. It is important to note that the actions in the Roadmap for Implementation are those that can be achieved on a cost neutral basis.
The National Carers' Strategy committed to the production of an Annual Report on progress which would be published on the websites of relevant Departments. The first Annual Report on implementation of the Strategy was published in November 2013 and is available on my Department's website. The Annual Report will provide the Deputy with a list of actions that were identified in the Strategy and what progress has been made on each one since the Strategy’s publication.
A number of Government Departments responsible for implementation of aspects of the Strategy have met with The Carers' Association in recent months to discuss how implementation can be brought forward and an ongoing dialogue has been established.
Work on the second Annual Report is advancing and it is my intention that this be completed as soon as possible with a view to publication in the coming months.