Fergus O'Dowd
Question:181. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if his Department has received the pre-Budget 2024 submission from a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32857/23]
View answerWednesday, 5 July 2023
Questions (181)
Written answers
The pre-budget submission to which the Deputy refers is the Alzheimer Society of Ireland's 2024 pre-budget submission.
The Government is committed to ensuring that those living with dementia have access to the right services and supports to help them to live well in their communities, and has prioritised much-needed investment in dementia over the past three budgets.
We have invested €12.16 in dementia services and supports in 2023: €4.86 million has been provided for the National Dementia Strategy and €2.1 million for the full resumption of dementia-specific day care services. We have also prioritized investment valued at €5.2 million to allocate a minimum of 15% of 5 million new home support hours to people with dementia, up from 5% in 2021 and 11% in 2022. This investment is in addition to €5.9 million provided for the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy in 2021, and a further €7.3 million in 2022.
A new Model of Care for Dementia was published in May, setting out a framework for the provision of comprehensive dementia diagnostic and post-diagnostic support services on an equitable basis countrywide. To support the new Model of Care, funding has been provided for 10 new Memory Assessment and Support Services (MASS) countrywide over the past three years. Each of these MASS will provide dementia diagnostic and post-diagnostic support services, mainly focused on older people with typical dementia presentations. For those with more complex or atypical presentations, often people with early onset dementia, the Government has funded two new Regional Specialist Memory Clinics (RSMC) in Cork and Galway and boosted the provision of services in the existing RSMCs in St. James’ Hospital and Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin. We have also funded a National Intellectual Disability Memory Service at Tallaght Hospital.
In each of the past three years, funding has been allocated to improve the provision of care to people with dementia in acute hospitals. This includes an Assistant Director of Nursing in each hospital group to drive quality improvement, and the recruitment of 18 Clinical Nurse Specialists for dementia to implement a dementia and delirium care pathway in acute hospitals, ensuring a specific focus on the needs of people with dementia in hospital.
The Government has also prioritised funding for the national Dementia Adviser service, which now has 28 advisers and a coordinator. These Advisers play a crucial role engaging with people with dementia, their families and carers to provide free and confidential supports and signposting to help connect with essential services.
We have also funded a national network of 25 Memory Technology Resource Rooms (MTRRs) which provide free occupational therapist assessments and advice on assistive technology to help people adapt to their condition and maintain a degree of independence for as long as possible, while also providing support to family carers.
€2.1 million has been provided this year to ensure that dementia-specific day care can return to full capacity in a post-pandemic environment. In addition, day care at home continues for people with dementia who cannot, or do not wish to, attend a day care centre.
The ASI’s pre-budget submission focuses on strengthening a number of areas that have been the focus of Government funding over the past three years such as the provision of dementia nurse specialists in acute hospitals, the delivery of new Memory Assessment and Support Services, the provision of dementia day care at home, and the provision of increased home support hours for people with dementia.
The ASI’s pre-budget submission will be considered by the Department of Health in its preparations for the estimates and budgetary process.