Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 September 2019
369. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the status of the previously promised scoping exercise on a statutory home care scheme; the stage it is at; when a report will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38792/19]
View answerThe Department of Health is currently engaged in the development of a new statutory scheme and system of regulation for home-support services. In preparation for the development of the statutory scheme, the Department commissioned the Health Research Board to carry out a review of the home-care systems in four European countries. In addition, the Department conducted a public consultation on home-care services, on which a report was published in 2018. These reports are available on the Department’s website and will help to ensure that the new scheme is informed both by international experience and by the views of stakeholders, including service-users.
The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy commits to the introduction of the statutory scheme in 2021. As part of this, work is on-going to determine the optimal approach to the development of the statutory scheme within the broader context of the Sláintecare reforms and in 2019 work is focusing on the design of the scheme, the options for regulation, and a review of existing services. Stakeholder-consultation will continue throughout the process of developing the new scheme.
