Kieran O'Donnell
Limerick City · Fine Gael · Ireland
“The triangle of supports of home care, day care and meals on wheels services — including dementia-specific supports — plays a vital role in helping older people to age well in their own communities. Meals on wheels services provide much more than nutritious meals.”
“The organisation currently operates a day care service four days per week, supporting approximately 60 registered users, and a meals on wheels service with 104 registered users. The HSE has advised that increased funding has been committed to support the organisation.”
“I join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in welcoming the Kellehers to the Seanad, which is a beautiful building in its own right. I thank Senator Kelleher for raising this important matter. He has advocated for Westgate Foundation over a sustained period of time and that has to be acknowledged. I know the work it does is close to his heart.”
“I again thank the Senator for raising Westgate Foundation in Ballincollig and the work it does on behalf of the community, particularly older people. The Senator referred to housing on-site. It is very much an integrated model. I could see how committed the staff and the board, many of them voluntary, were.”
“The Government has significantly increased investment in meals on wheels services in recent years. Funding increased from €3.5 million in 2022 to €6.25 million in 2025, with a further €2 million allocated in budget 2026 to support service expansion and maintenance.”
“The shared objective of the HSE and Westgate Foundation is to ensure high-quality day care and meals on wheels services continue to be available to older people who rely on them, particularly in the greater Ballincollig area.”
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“The designing and development of oral healthcare packages for adults and children that is under way within the HSE represents a significant expansion of preventative care. The delivery of these packages by local dental practices under contract to the HSE will allow patients and families to attend a local practice of their own choosing for continuity of care and to prevent problems before they arise. This will also allow dental practices to build enduring relationships with their patients. The Sláintecare approach also means that people should have sufficient access to care from birth and across the full life course to prevent problems before they arise. This is why starting with our zero– to two-year-olds, who can currently only access emergency care, is a priority.”
“The lengthy phase of policy development was fully cognisant of two policies in particular, which have provided the framework for the vision of transformative change that Smile agus Sláinte sets out. Smile agus Sláinte is based on technical concepts that the World Health Organization has endorsed for several decades, including the emphasis on preventative care, the provision of care in a primary, rather than acute, setting, and the integration of oral healthcare into general healthcare. Accordingly, Smile agus Sláinte reflects the ethos, practices and intentions of the WHO’s global oral health resolution, strategy and action plan. Smile agus Sláinte also applies the Sláintecare vision of enabling patients to access the right oral healthcare in the right place at the right time, based on best international evidence and practice.”
“The national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte, sets out the vision for the future of oral healthcare services in Ireland. The policy was informed by considerable evidence inputs, including the support of an oral health policy academic reference group, consultations with key stakeholders, considerable feedback from a number of consultations with front-line workers, including dentists and auxiliary dental workers, and a comprehensive qualitative research project. This policy constitutes a body of very wide-ranging and transformative reforms. The implementation plan for the 2025 to 2027 phase is being finalised by the Department of Health and the HSE.”
“Ultimately, implementation of the national oral health policy will achieve the substantive service reforms that are required to ensure that patients can access the care they need, as set out in international best evidence and practice. Collectively, these reforms will examine the scope of oral healthcare in Ireland to ensure a focus on basic and essential oral healthcare, provided in a reoriented community-based model of care so that our most vulnerable can access the care they need. The State has a responsibility to do this. In turn, we recognise that the oral healthcare sector must be enabled and supported to provide this evidence-based care through an appropriate framework of professional regulation, education and training and strategic workforce planning, as well as modernised contractual arrangements.”
“Further, expenditure on the dental element of the PRSI-based treatment benefit scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection increased by more than €11 million in 2024 compared to 2023, bringing it to €75.4 million. A total of 1.7 million dental claims were processed under the scheme in 2024. I assure Members that the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and her Department appreciate the difficulties experienced by people seeking to access oral healthcare and we will continue our ongoing work to address this. We are easing current access issues through a range of measures, which include a 40% to 60% increase in payment for treatments under the dental treatment services scheme and additional staffing for the HSE oral healthcare service.”
“I thank Deputies across the House for their contribution to the debate. I also thank Deputy Stanley for bringing forward the motion. As the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, announced, the Minister for Health and the Government are not opposing the motion, which provides a chance to update the Dáil on developments in this sector and to outline the Government's priority to fundamentally reform dental services. As the Minister of State noted, there was €4.85 million in additional HSE funding this year, building on an additional €15 million in core HSE funding from 2022 to 2024 and a further additional €17 million in one-off HSE funding in the same period, which is supporting the ongoing work to reduce waiting lists and address access to services through policy implementation.”
“Like any group, they will have differing needs. It is about providing a range of choices which allows older people to make their own decisions on where they wish to live. This could mean continuing to live where they are, moving to a smaller unit, independent living or supported living. My role in the Departments of Health and housing is to ensure older people have all the supports in housing and health they need to enable them to make those choices and decisions.”
“The Programme for Government: Securing Ireland's Future includes a number of commitments to deliver practical housing options for positive ageing. It commits to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. As I stated, work on these commitments is ongoing, with a policy group recently established in the Department of housing to look at proposals on how best to progress them. Crucially, consideration of these proposals will feed into development of the new housing plan being progressed in the Department of housing. These proposals will set out a pathway to develop practical housing options for positive ageing to meet the housing needs of our growing and ageing population. For me, it is all about choice when it comes to older people.”
“I again thank Deputy Hayes for raising this important matter. I listened carefully to the points he raised. The Government is working diligently in conjunction with key stakeholders, particularly local authorities and approved housing bodies, to increase delivery of housing for older people. We also want to work with the private sector because everyone has a part to play in the delivery of housing, including for older people. The clear focus of this Government is to increase the supply of new builds and affordable homes to buy or rent. As I stated, a record level of investment is being provided in 2025, with capital funding of €6.8 billion supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding allocated to address housing need.”
“I join in acknowledging his recent passing. He was obviously someone very close to the Deputy. I am utterly committed to housing for all people. For me, it about providing choice. I take this very seriously and I am actively progressing and working on it. As the Deputy said, our demographic is evolving and we will have an older population. We have to bring a range of choices across the spectrum for older people and I want to work on that with all sides of the House. It is hugely important and very much a priority for this Government.”
“Furthermore, CALF funding is capital support provided to AHBs by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction, acquisition or refurbishment of new social housing units which may also accommodate older people. Meeting the housing needs of all households, including older people, continues to be a priority for this Government. We will continue our focus on the delivery of homes to provide a range of choices which meets the diverse needs of the ageing population, spanning owner-occupier, private rental and social housing. I did not know the man Deputy Hayes made reference to. Was his name Kodzo?”
“My Department provides capital funding to local authorities and approved housing bodies to support the delivery of social homes in their area, including for older people. Under the social housing investment programme, my Department provides up to 100% of the costs where local authorities build or acquire homes and apartments for social housing use. Under the capital assistance scheme, my Department provides up to 100% capital funding to approved housing bodies to provide new social homes for priority categories to include homeless people, disability and housing for older people. From 2020 to 2024, 514 units for older people were delivered under the capital assistance scheme, CAS, by providing purpose-designed age-friendly homes.”
“This commits to increasing housing options and choices available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. Work on these commitments is ongoing within a policy group recently established within my Department, by me as Minister, to look at the progressing and implementation of these commitments. This work will be advanced through specific measures in the new housing plan that is currently being prepared by my Department. Under the housing assistance payment scheme and the rental accommodation scheme, local authorities also continue to provide critical housing supports by enabling access to accommodation within the private rented market for eligible households, including older people.”
“The rental sector provides a home for a significant proportion of the population and we need to give people more certainty that their tenancy will not be ended. We want to provide more stability and confidence in this area. The programme for Government includes a number of commitments related to the supply of housing for older people. I have been appointed to a role where for the first time there is a stand-alone Minister with responsibility for older people in both the Departments of housing and health and it is something I am very committed to in terms of housing for older people. As I said, the programme for Government includes a number of commitments related to the supply of housing for older people.”
“I thank Deputy Hayes for raising this important issue today. The clear focus of this Government is to increase the supply of new build social and affordable homes to buy or rent. There is a record level of investment being provided for the delivery of housing in 2025, with overall capital funding available of €6.8 billion. The capital provision is supplemented by a further €1.65 billion in current funding to address housing need. This funding will support the delivery of increased numbers of social housing and cost-rental homes. On 10 June 2025, the Government approved new policy measures to provide for the enhancement of rent controls and tenancy protections from 1 March 2026. The stronger tenancy protections will provide further improvements to security of tenure.”
“This ensures that the public receive accurate and practical information, particularly in areas where the risk of tick exposure is high. I will take back to the Minister the particular point that the Senator raises. Might I also suggest that she raises the particular question she has in terms of that issue with the local government section within the Department of housing as well, but I will bring it back to the Minister and the officials in the Department of Health.”
“The HSE, through the HPSC, continues to provide a wide range of public education materials, including an downloadable A3 poster and leaflet entitled, "Protecting yourself against Tick Bites and Lyme Disease", both of which are available on the HPSC website. They are designed to be clear, accessible and suitable for use by local authorities, landowners and public agencies. The HPSC has also highlighted the availability of these matters to relevant Departments and agencies that manage publicly accessible lands. Members of the public who own and manage land on which people can walk can display the poster in a prominent position at the entrance and exit of the land. HSE tick-warning signage provides a consistent and evidence-based approach that can be adopted widely.”
“I thank the Senator for her comments highlighting the importance of continued action on Lyme disease awareness. I reiterate I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. In 2011, Ireland became one of the first EU countries to make Lyme disease a statutory notifiable disease. The notifiable entity is Lyme neuroborreliosis, a more severe form of the disease which affects the nervous system. Between four and 21 cases of Lyme neuroborreliosis are notified annually in Ireland, significantly less than the total number of cases of early Lyme infection and family skin infection. However, the levels of Lyme neuroborreliosis serves as a reliable indicator of overall Lyme disease activity in the country.”
“A full suite of Lyme disease resources, including posters and information leaflets, is available through the HPSC website. These posters are suitable for display on publicly accessible land, and the HPSC has actively promoted their availability to Departments and public agencies that manage such areas. Local authorities, healthcare professionals, and members of the public are encouraged to download and share these materials.”
“This is done through website news articles, social media posts, press releases and media interviews. This initiative encourages individuals to take preventive measures during periods when tick activity is highest. Information is provided on common tick habitats, high-risk behaviours, prevention strategies, and how to safely remove and identify ticks. To further spread public awareness, the HSE provides downloadable posters and leaflets that are intended to be distributed in community centres, schools, and recreational and other common public and private spaces, especially those with an increased risk of tick exposure. These materials are designed to inform individuals about the risks of tick bites and the importance of preventive actions.”
“Approximately 5% of ticks in Ireland are thought to carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Importantly, a tick usually needs to be attached to the skin for at least 24 hours before it can transmit the infection. High-risk environments include grassy and wooded areas as well as sand dunes - places where people often enjoy outdoor activities. The HSE’s national health protection office, through the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, HPSC, provides information on the surveillance of Lyme disease. The HPSC offers a wide range of resources to help people reduce their risk of tick bites, including seasonal updates for both the public and healthcare professionals. Each year in early May, the HSE marks Tick Awareness Day, by providing practical advice on the prevention of tick bites, which can transmit Lyme disease.”
“The visitors are in very good hands with Deputy Feighan. They are welcome. I thank Senator Cosgrove for raising this important matter and for the opportunity to speak on the issue of Lyme disease awareness. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is an infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks, and it can occasionally lead to serious illness. Each year, it is estimated that between 200 and 500 cases of early Lyme disease occur in Ireland. Ticks are present throughout Ireland, including both urban and rural areas. Although ticks can be active year-round, the period of highest tick activity and therefore Lyme disease is between April and October.”
“I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important matter. I ask her to come back to the Department on it. She has stated that she has engaged with Kildare County Council. I will go back through my Department to the HSE to advise it on what she is now looking to do. I assume that Kildare County Council and the HSE are engaging with each other. To bring clarity to light, I ask her to come back to me with an update. In the interim, I will communicate what the Senator is proposing.”
“I recognise that there will be disappointment in the community that the HSE has decided that this is not a suitable site for development as a day centre for older people. However, the HSE has advised that older people residing in the Kilcullen area are currently availing of other HSE-funded centres in the Kildare area, including the day centre in the neighbouring town of Newbridge, approximately 20 minutes away from Kilcullen. When this matter came to me, I made direct inquiries. This is the information I have been provided with as of this morning. I understand people's disappointment, but they are the facts as provided.”
“In line with statutory obligations and regulations, the HSE has subsequently engaged with all relevant State stakeholders, including Kildare County Council, around a potential intra-State transfer or to identify the potential for the delivery of other community services from this site. It was confirmed to the HSE last week that no other State shareholder intends to acquire the property. In the event that an intra-State transfer does not proceed, a disposal is to proceed to the open market. The HSE will now look at the necessary steps to move forward on this basis. Senator O'Loughlin may have other matters to shed light on this issue. I asked for what the facts are as of today, and this is what I have been informed through my officials in the HSE.”
“While acknowledging that significant renovation works were completed to the building by Teach na nDaoine Cill Chuilinn during its tenancy, the HSE has stated that additional renovation works would be required to ensure the property was fully compliant with building standards to ensure safety, accessibility, sustainability and functionality. The HSE has confirmed to the Department of Health that there are no plans to complete these works and no plans to open a day centre for older people at this site. As such, the facility is now vacant and non-operational. When sites like this become vacant, the HSE conducts an internal review of potential uses. Following the review in this case, the HSE decided that the property was not required for health service delivery in the area.”
“The Teach na nDaoine facility is a HSE facility in Kilcullen, County Kildare. As the Senator said, it is on an old dispensary site that was renovated by the former lessee, Teach na nDaoine Cill Chuilinn, with the intention of putting it to use as a day centre for older people. I have made inquiries. The HSE informed the Department of Health that it had been notified by the former lessee on 13 September 2024 of its intention to commence winding down operations and formally hand back vacant possession of the property. The keys to the property were returned to the HSE on 17 September 2024.”
“I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important issue. The programme for Government highlights the importance of community services for older people, which assist them to remain independent and to live in their own homes with dignity and independence for as long as possible. Many older people living at home rely on the services they receive through day centres and the outreach that these centres provide, including meals on wheels. These wrap-around supports also help to reduce loneliness and social isolation. The HSE has operational responsibility for the planning, management, allocation, delivery and funding of health and social care services such as day centres. This includes responsibility for managing the buildings and other assets used in the delivery of those services.”
“She will be working to secure a service level agreement in the context of the upcoming Estimates process to make sure that the Cluain centre receives the sustainable multi-stream funding it needs. The Minister of State will also meet with the integrated health area manager for Tipperary next week in Clonmel and intends to raise the matter directly with them during the meeting. I assure the Senator that the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, fully supports the Cluain centre and is determined to secure the sustainable funding it needs to continue its vital work. I again thank Senator Goldsboro for raising this important issue today.”
“As stated, I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Mary Butler. I thank Senator Goldsboro for raising this important matter. I assure the House that we understand the value of work being done in the Cluain centre. It is a good example of person-centred community-based care at its best, offering a pathway to greater independence and inclusion by ensuring that no one is left behind. As I said in my opening statement, while the majority of funding comes from the disability budget, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is committed to ensuring the mental health budget also plays its part.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, firmly believes the mental health budget must also contribute. The programmes delivered by Cluain reflect our shared responsibilities to the people participating in them and we must reflect that in how we resource services. Centres like Cluain are the backbone of community-based care. They deserve our full support.”
“Following the visit, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, asked her officials in the mental health section to engage directly with the head of disability services in the region, who was also present on the day, to develop a joined-up, comprehensive plan for the centre’s future, which is what the Senator called for in her contribution. The Cluain centre has historically been funded and managed through HSE disability services. HSE disability services are actively supporting the Cluain training centre in relation to funding and quality standards for new directions. In addition, in 2024 and for the majority of 2023, disability services have also provided a full-time staff resource to enable the Cluain training centre to meet day service standards and sustainability.”
“During the Minister of State's visit, she was struck by the centre's deep commitment to person-centred support. Staff worked closely with each trainee to identify their goals and aspirations, including progressing to further education, preparing for employment or building confidence and social skills. Training programmes on offer are accredited at QQI level 3 and provide a clear pathway for participants to move forward in their lives with dignity and purpose. The Cluain centre also plays an important role in promoting positive mental health and inclusion in the local community. Anyone who attends the centre is seen, heard and supported. The centre’s social enterprise activities, in particular, offer meaningful engagement and a sense of contribution to the wider community. It is a place of hope, opportunity and real transformation.”
“I thank Senator Goldsboro for raising this important matter in the Seanad this afternoon. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. As the Senator stated, just last month, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, had the opportunity to visit Cluain Training and Enterprise Centre in Clonmel. It is a model of best practice on how we support people with disabilities, acquired brain injuries and mental health challenges. The centre provides a wide range of services, including many different training opportunities, day services and activities to foster social enterprise. These programmes are free of charge to participants and, crucially, are tailored to meet the needs of each person who attends the centre.”
“As such, whistleblowers are protected under the Act from penalisation including dismissal, demotion, disciplinary action and reputational damage. The Department of Health takes these obligations very seriously and is committed to ensuring that all staff members feel that they can make reports of major wrongdoing without fear of penalisation. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister and will bring the matters raised to her attention.”
“It is also possible for whistleblowers to make reports directly to the commissioner if they wish to do so. Where a report is received for assessment, the concern is treated seriously and investigated where it is considered appropriate. Where an investigation takes place the identity of the person raising the concern is protected and remains confidential to the greatest extent possible, as required under the Protected Disclosures Act. The person raising the concern will be advised as to how the issue is being addressed, including the outcome of any investigation. Whistleblowers play an important role in revealing serious misconduct such as corruption, unsafe work practices or public health threats and improving accountability and transparency by fostering a culture where serious wrongdoing is not tolerated.”
“These procedures have been developed in accordance with the guidance issued by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The Department has both internal and external channels available for receiving reports of wrongdoing and details of how to make these reports through the appropriate channels are published on the Department's website. In accordance with the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022, all reports received via these channels are forwarded to the Office of Protected Disclosures Commissioner. The commissioner ensures that the report is submitted to the most appropriate prescribed person or suitable persons to deal with it. These measures ensure that all reports received are considered with transparency and impartiality.”
“On behalf of the Minister of Health, who I am taking this on behalf of, I thank the Deputy again for raising this matter. The Department of Health encourages all staff to speak up and raise any concerns they may have relating to potential wrongdoings in the workplace. The Department provides the necessary supports for any staff member who raises any possible wrongdoings. A staff member who makes a protected disclosure under the Protected Disclosures Act is protected from penalisation or threatened penalisation. The Department has established procedures for the making of protected disclosures by workers who were employed by the Department and for dealing with such disclosures.”
“Whistleblowers are informed on how their concerns are addressed and the outcome of any investigation. Whistleblowers are protected from penalisation and should not fear making a disclosure. The Department of Health is committed to ensuring all staff members feel they can safely make reports of any alleged wrongdoings.”
“The Department of Health encourages all staff to speak up about concerns they may have about potential wrongdoings in the workplace. The Department has established procedures for the making of protected disclosures via our internal and external channels. All reports received are forwarded to the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner. This ensures all reports of alleged wrongdoing doing are dealt with in a fair and transparent manner by the most appropriate prescribed person or other suitable person. Reports received in the Department are treated seriously and investigated where appropriate. The Protected Disclosures Act requires that the identity of the whistleblower is protected and remains confidential to the greatest extent possible.”
“The Minister may also issue guidance on the information that must be published setting out how disclosures may be made to Ministers or Ministers of State. This guidance is issued with the aim of assisting the persons referred to when establishing and maintaining reporting channels and procedures for the making of protected disclosures and for dealing with such reports of disclosures, referred to in this guidance as "procedures". Section 21(2) of the Act provides that the persons referred to above "shall have regard to" this guidance when establishing and maintaining such procedures. This means that while the channels and procedures should be tailored according to the specific business needs of the organisations concerned; they should be in general conformity with the principles set out in this guidance.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am taking this Topical Issue debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation is the lead-Department on protected disclosure legislation and provides guidance on all protected disclosure processes and guidance. Section 21(1) of the Protected Disclosures Act in Ireland empowers the Minister for public expenditure to issue guidance to public bodies to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities under the Act. This guidance aims to help public bodies establish and maintain effective procedures for handling protected disclosures.”
“In response to future capacity requirements, the commitment to building more nursing home beds is an absolute priority for Government. In this context, the Department of Health and the HSE are developing a new public long-term residential care capacity plan, which will be published this year. It is something I am very committed to. As I mentioned, the Government has established an independent Commission on Care for Older People. The commissioner is charged with examining the condition of health and social care services and supports for older people including residential care and will make recommendations to the Government for their strategic development. I very much look forward to the first report from the commission, which will be published in the coming months under the chair of Professor Alan Barrett.”
“The investment is €838 million compared with €400 million. There is a significant commitment by the Government to home care. At the moment, we are working on development of statutory home care. The first step in that is for home care providers legislation, which I am progressing. As part of the ongoing collaboration between the ESRI and the Department of Health, the commission is building a demand and capacity modelling capability for our modern health service. I have already stated that demand for health and social care services is increasing as our population increases and ages. Older groups tend to use healthcare services more frequently and for a longer duration. I reiterate that we are making progress in increasing residential care capacity for the older population.”
“I thank Deputy Burke for raising this matter. He will be aware the ESRI health capacity review on future capacity for care for older people is the third in a series of capacity reviews on Ireland's health services, following reports on public acute hospitals and general practitioner services. The ESRI will publish further analysis later this year. I note the points that the Deputy raises in the other matters he highlighted. The ESRI report provides an evidence base that is crucial for future planning and ensuring we provide the right health and social care services in the right place for our older population. The ESRI report deals with both long-term and short-stay beds, which I acknowledge. It deals with home care too. There has been significant investment by the Government in home care hours. They have gone up by 70% since 2020.”
“It is evident that significant further investment will be required by the Government to ensure that the appropriate care services are available for our older population and to deliver on the programme for Government, Sláintecare and Project Ireland 2040 commitments. I am absolutely committed to ensuring that this capacity planning is advanced in 2025.”
“The 2025 programme for Government also committed to build more public nursing home beds. The Department of Health, alongside the HSE, is developing a new long-term residential care additional capacity plan, which will be published in 2025. This is an absolute priority for me as Minister of State and for the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. As Deputy Burke will be aware, the Government established an independent Commission on Care for Older People in March 2024. The commission is charged with examining the provision of health and social care services and supports for older people, including residential care, and with making recommendations to the Government for their strategic development. I look forward to the first report of the commission, which will be published in the coming months.”
“As Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I am very conscious of the importance of strengthening the capacity and resilience of our health system through the delivery of health and social care infrastructure. This Government is committed to continued investment in healthcare infrastructure that supports the highest quality care for our older population. This investment includes the community nursing unit programme, which was launched to ensure that up to 90 of our public community nursing units and community hospitals would be refurbished or replaced to ensure the best quality environments for our older people, and to ensure HIQA compliance. A total of €4 million was allocated in budget 2025 to staff and open an additional 615 community beds this year in capital projects coming to fruition through this capital programme.”
“The ESRI report sets out that we will need a substantial increase in long-term and short-term residential care capacity to meet the demands of our growing and ageing population. The Government's long-standing strategic goal is to deliver a new model of integrated older persons' health and social care services across the care spectrum, supporting older people to remain living independently in their own homes and communities for longer, in line with the Sláintecare vision for receiving the right care, in the right place, at the right time. However, it is recognised that care provided in long-term residential care settings for older people will continue to be an important part of the continuum of care for older people into the future.”
“The research was funded by the Department of Health and considers a range of scenarios based on varying assumptions about population growth and ageing, the effects of healthy ageing and policy choices. The ESRI's demand and capacity analysis will be invaluable in advancing evidence-based capacity planning that is responsive, agile and meets the needs of our older population over the coming years and decades. People are living longer lives and the number of older people in the total population is growing. The success that has been achieved in improving health outcomes and extending life expectancy must be acknowledged and celebrated. However, we must also recognise the challenges we will face in a range of areas in the coming years as our population ages.”