Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 October 2016
123. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Health the amount of the €14.6 billion announced in budget 2017 that will go towards the home care packages scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32366/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to say that overall funding for services for older people has increased to €765 million in 2017 - an increase of €82 million since the HSE's 2016 Service Plan. This has focused on additional funding for homecare in particular and is aimed at allowing people to continue to live in their own homes and at facilitating discharge of older people from acute hospitals.
The overall funding for home care in 2016 is approximately €373 million, this includes Home Help, Home Care Packages, Primary Care funded services within the Home Care Package Scheme and Intensive Home Care Packages. The Government has provided a further €27m for home care services in 2017. Details of how home care funding will be dispersed will be set out in the coming weeks in the HSE 2017 National Service Plan.
