Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
110. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if funding will be directed towards the families under severe pressure caring for loved ones 24/7 in order that they can hire the necessary support privately in view of the fact that day care centres, respite centres and other services for the elderly and physically disabled are not operating or barely operating and are unlikely to open for the foreseeable future. [27116/20]
View answerFamily carers provide selfless and dedicated care to their loved ones, and the Government recognises that the caring role can be challenging, particularly in the current circumstances. Budget 2021 contains additional funding for initiatives to support carers in their vital role, including funding for a range of measures to support service users. Such measures include five million additional home support hours for older people, more community-focused supports for people with dementia, and funding for additional respite services for people with disabilities
My Department secured €2 million in the budget for advancing the National Carers' Strategy, with a focus on providing a more standard package of supports to family carers in every region. The specific measures to be introduced in the package for family carers will be determined in the context of the HSE's National Service Planning Process for 2021.
Budget 2021 also provided for an increase of €150 in the Carer's Support Grant paid by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to people providing care for an older person or someone with a disability. This will increase the rate to €1,850, with effect from June next year.
In the absence of regular, scheduled day services and respite supports, the HSE and service providers have tried to maintain services that can be delivered safely during the pandemic. They are providing outreach and telecare solutions, using technology where possible, and have developed creative and innovative models of care to support service users. The HSE has adapted its community services to provide a flexible response that continues to meet the needs of service users during COVID-19, while also providing information on its website and signposting family carers to organisations, such as Family Carers Ireland, for additional community supports.
Disability services remain open during the current level 5 restrictions. During the pandemic, a number of disability respite centres continued to operate, albeit at a reduced capacity, while others were temporarily re-purposed as isolation facilities. Currently, disability respite services are in the second phase of a three-phase plan for re-opening. Day care and respite services for older people remain closed due to the need to protect people from infection risk; these will resume once adequate infection prevention and control measures and physical distancing are in place.
The review and update of the cross-departmental National Carers' Strategy, which will be led by my Department, will provide an opportunity to examine how best we can continue to support and meet the needs of family carers.
