Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
1192. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the status of the implementation of recommendations in the report of the independent review group examining the role of voluntary organisations relating to areas in which his Department has responsibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17503/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Report of the Independent Review Group established to examine the role of voluntary organisations in publicly funded health and social services, published in February 2019, highlighted the important contribution that voluntary organisations have made and continue to make in the delivery of health and social care services across the country.
The key finding in the Report is the need to strengthen the relationship between the State and voluntary sector organisations. To this end, a Dialogue Forum with Voluntary Organisations was established in December 2019 as recommended in the Report as a key mechanism for strengthening this relationship. The aim of the Forum is to build a stronger working relationship between the State and the voluntary healthcare sector for the benefit of patients and service users. The Forum will also facilitate regular dialogue with the voluntary sector on policy initiatives and will consider issues around governance more generally.
The Forum is independently chaired by Peter Cassells. Members of the Forum include the Department, the HSE, HIQA, the Mental Health Commission and the main representative bodies of voluntary providers of health and social care: The Wheel; Mental Health Reform; Disability Federation of Ireland; Not for Profit Association; National Federation of Voluntary Service Providers; Voluntary Healthcare Forum; Voluntary Hospices Group and National Community Care Network.
The Forum met twice in December 2019 and January 2020, but further meetings scheduled for March 2020 and May 2020 were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-2020 the Chair convened a sub-group of the Forum to act as a planning group to assist him in planning and, where appropriate, progressing the work of the Forum. The Planning Group met online in September, November and December 2020.
A full Forum meeting planned for the end of January was postponed due to the demands the third wave of the pandemic has placed on Forum members. It is planned to recommence Forum meetings as soon as feasible. In the meantime, the Chair continues to engage with Members directly.
More generally, many of the Independent Review Group Report’s recommendations dovetail with the Sláintecare programme and are being considered in that context. In addition, some recommendations are being taken forward in the context of the Department of Rural and Community Development’s ‘Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: A Five-Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector in Ireland 2019-2024’.
