Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 March 2024
375. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health to outline in detail the steps being taken by his Department to prioritise and support informal caregivers who play a crucial role in home and community care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11313/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraFamily carers are key enablers for Government policy to support people to live with dignity and independence in homes and communities of their choosing for as long as possible by providing vital care to some of our most vulnerable citizens. The essential role that family carers play in the provision of care in Ireland is fully recognised and appreciated by me and my Department. Every day, family carers through their selfless hard work, knowledge and compassion enhance the quality of life of the most vulnerable in our society. In the area of health there are multiple programmes to support family carers.
National Carers' Strategy
Government policy on family carers is set out in the 2012 National Carers' Strategy which provides the strategic direction for future policies, services and supports provided by Government departments and agencies for carers. The 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 participate as fully as possible in economic and social life. Oversight of the Strategy is led by my Department, with individual Government Departments leading on action areas that fall within their remit.
Carers’ Guarantee
Annually recurring funding of €2 million was provided in Budget 2021 under the National Carers’ Strategy to improve equity of access to supports for carers across the country. This funding is an important step towards delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to develop a Carers’ Guarantee, providing a more standard package of supports to family carers in every region, in tandem with the community and voluntary sector. €1.9 million of this funding is being provided to Family Carers Ireland to deliver a mix of community and individual supports across five areas of activity: community carer supports; intensive and emergency supports; education and training FCI’s freephone careline; and psychosocial support.
The remaining €100,000 funds Care Alliance Ireland to deliver a professionally moderated online support group for Family Carers. The service promotes supports to assist family carers in carrying out their caring roles, thus allowing care recipients to be maintained in their own homes and communities.
In addition to these supports, to address the health-specific needs of family carers themselves, the HSE has developed a family carers’ support page on its website at www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/carerssupport/.
Respite
Respite care is a vital part of the toolkit to support carers. €62 million in funding is provided annually to provide respite beds in older people’s services. Respite may be provided in the community within the person’s own home, in HSE residential care settings, by agreement with voluntary organisations or by contracted private facilities.
In addition, in June 2021 the HSE, in partnership with Family Carers Ireland, launched the Home Support Emergency Respite Scheme, with funding of €600,000, to provide a total of 27,000 hours of respite care to unpaid carers who require additional emergency respite. The HSE has committed to continuing to provide emergency respite supports in 2024.
In 2023 the Government allocated €2.1 million to allow dementia day care centres to reopen to full capacity. In budget 2024, a further €500,000 was allocated to increase the provision of in-home dementia day care.
Extension of GP Visit Cards to carers in receipt of the Carer’s Support Grant
Since September 2018, individuals in receipt of either a full or half-rate Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit are automatically eligible for a GP visit card. On foot of this measure, as of December 2023, 7,098 people in receipt of either full or half-rate Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit have gained GP Visit Card eligibility. It is also noted that many carers may have already held a medical card or GP visit card prior to this policy change.
A range of other measures have also been introduced in recent years to expand access to GP Care including the automatic awarding of a GP visit card to all people over 70 in 2015 and as provided for in Budget 2023, eligibility for GP visit cards was extended to people who earn up to the median household income (€46,000 or less). Over 400,000 additional people, who otherwise would have attended their GP on a private basis, are expected to become eligible for free GP care under this expansion. It is envisaged that these measures will be supported by a significant package of additional capacity supports to GP practices.
It is likely that many of those currently in receipt of the Carer Support Grant will be among those positively affected by this expansion, although an estimate of the exact number is not currently available.
In addition to these direct supports for family carers, my Department is also engaged in the following workstreams that help support family carers.
Statutory Home Support Scheme
My Department is currently developing a regulatory framework for home-support providers with the aim of ensuring that all service-users are provided with high-quality care. This will comprise of primary legislation for the licensing of home support providers, regulations for home support which will set out the minimum requirements that a provider must meet to obtain a licence, and Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) national standards.
The Heads of Bill are currently being drafted by my Department with a view to bringing the Heads of Bill to Government for approval in 2024.
Engagement with stakeholder groups and experts have shaped regulations which now await legal drafters. The informed perspective of the Chief Inspector and HIQA team influenced changes in areas such as training requirements in order to future proof regulations. HIQA standards, decision-making framework and the inspection process will ensure that quality home support services are provided by adequately prepared workers to better informed service users. The scope of regulation has now been confirmed and HIQA standards for home care and home support will go out for public consultation early 2024.
Mental Health Services
The total allocation for mental health services in 2024 is approximately €1.3 billion, which is the fourth year in a row in which the mental health budget has been increased. This significant investment will enable continued policy implementation and service improvement in line with our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision. This year’s budget allocation builds on the investment this Government has made over the last number of years to deliver the policy priorities of Sharing the Vision through the provision of mental health supports across a broad continuum from mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention, to acute and specialist mental health service delivery. This will enhance the delivery of vital services to as many people as possible over 2024.
As part of the funding allocated to mental health services, new development funding has been secured to advance initiatives on youth mental health, and around priority groups identified within the national suicide prevention strategy Connecting for Life. This new development funding will be focused on increased CAMHS staffing, a new Youth Mental Health app, a referral pilot for children's community services including CAMHS (piloting an approach to service referrals known as ‘No Wrong Door’), the expansion of Suicide Bereavement Liaison Services, and expanding the Traveller Counselling Service. A priority for the HSE under its annual Service Plans is to improve access to the HSE Childcare Psychology service, and to the specialist CAMHS service, and to reduce waiting lists for both.
Commission on Care for Older People
On 3rd October 2023 the Government approved my proposal, in collaboration with the Minister of State for Older People, to establish an independent Commission on Care for Older People. The Commission will examine the provision of health and social care services and supports for older people and make recommendations to the Government for their strategic development. Subsequently, a cross-departmental group will be established under the auspices of the Commission to consider whether the supports for positive ageing across the life course are fit-for-purpose and to develop a costed implementation plan for options to optimise these supports. €1.243 million was secured in Budget 2024 to support the work of the Commission, which is due to be formally established in the coming weeks.
