Michael McCarthy
Question:416. 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. [32801/15]
View answerTuesday, 29 September 2015
Questions (416)
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 the second in January 2015, both of which are available on my Department's website. These Annual Reports 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. The third Annual Report is currently being compiled and will be published over the coming months.
In May, the Carers Association published their Family Carers Scorecard which raised concerns over the pace of implementation. Much work, however, has been done and the report acknowledged achievements such as the development of a single assessment tool for older people containing a detailed Carers Needs Assessment; the imminent release of one million euro funding from Dormant accounts for training and information provision for family carers; the hosting of an Annual Carers Forum by the Department of Social Protection and in particular the positive engagement around the structure of this forum to meet the needs of family carers.
At my Department's request, the HSE has set up a cross-divisional working group to bring forward implementation of the health aspects of the Strategy.
The Carers' Strategy is an acknowledgement by Government of the vital role performed by carers and of the contribution that they make, not only to their loved ones, but to society in general. Rather than being a set of actions that can be completed in a defined time, the Strategy should be seen as a long-term statement of intent providing the context for carers and their advocates to successfully press their case for the recognition that they deserve.