Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 July 2017
756. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if the home care scheme will address a person's needs for respite care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35290/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently engaged in a detailed process to develop plans for a new statutory scheme and system of regulation for home care services. An important step in this process is the public consultation which I, along with Minister Harris, launched on 6 July. The purpose of this consultation is to allow all those who have views on this topic to have their say, including older people themselves, their families, and healthcare workers. It will also allow us to find out what people think about current home care services as well as the public’s views on what the future scheme should look like. This includes views in relation to the scope of the scheme. The consultation paper is available online at http://health.gov.ie/consultations/ and I encourage all those with an interest in home care services to make a submission to the consultation.
The findings of the public consultation will be an important input to the process for the development of the new home care scheme. A significant amount of work remains to be undertaken before final decisions are taken on the form of the home care scheme, including decisions on what services will be included in the scheme.
