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National Carers' Strategy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Questions (846)

Joe Carey

Question:

846. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Health if he will report on the development of a refreshed national carers strategy; the timeframe for the delivery of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24336/21]

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Written answers

Ireland’s National Carers' Strategy is designed around a core vision which recognises and respects carers as key care partners who are supported to maintain their own health and well-being, care with confidence and empowered to participate as fully as possible in economic and social life.

Under the Strategy, a range of measures have been introduced or extended by my Department to support family carers in recent years. Most recently, the Government allocated €2 million in Budget 2021 to advance the implementation of the National Carers' Strategy, with a focus on providing a more standard package of supports to family carers in every region. My Department is currently working on the details of this allocation with the HSE.

The Programme for Government contains a firm commitment to progress the review and update of the National Carers’ Strategy, and this is a priority for me, as Minister for Health. The Strategy update will involve numerous Government Departments other than Health, and my Department is committed to engaging with relevant Departments and all the key stakeholders on the development of the update.

As part of this engagement, my colleague Deputy Mary Butler, Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, held a roundtable meeting in September 2020 to hear directly from family carers about their experience of caring, in particular, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. I myself met with representative organisations late last year and further meetings have taken place this year with these organisations both at ministerial and official level. My Department will continue to progress this work during 2021.

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