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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“It is also highly important to note that there is a very good standard of nursing home care across all sectors. What we saw in the programme was the complete opposite. It was pure neglect and abuse of older people. It is something that I feel very strongly about and that we cannot tolerate in any circumstance. This has been very traumatic for the people in the two nursing homes and the wider nursing home body and the very good and dedicated staff and providers elsewhere. What has to come out of this is a stronger, more robust system. We have to look at HIQA's current powers in respect of the day-to-day operation of nursing homes. It has publicly acknowledged that we need to review the process. How can we improve the system such that what happened, and what we saw on the "RTÉ Investigates" programme, never ever happens again?”
“We are due a final report very shortly. I very much want to work on and expedite that because it is very important. With regard to safeguarding, the health (adult safeguarding) Bill is on the legislative programme. We want to progress that. One of the other items that many speakers brought up was the provision of community nursing home beds. We are undertaking a capacity review in respect of public nursing home beds. The programme for Government commits to increasing the number of public nursing home beds. We are working through and finalising a capacity review. I want to enhance the provision of community nursing home beds the length and breadth of Ireland. We will always have a mixture of community, voluntary and private homes. That is why regulation is so important.”
“We have to ensure that what happened to older people here can never happen again. One of the key elements of statutory home care is home care hours. We have significantly increased the funding in recent years. We have virtually doubled it. However, I take the point with regard to delivering an enhanced service. I have met with the HSE directly to see how we can speed up the provision of service to people who are on waiting lists. That is very important. One of the other features that came across was the design of nursing home settings. The Department of Health has a body of work under way on the design of nursing home settings. I very much wish to progress that. Deputy Toole brought up the issue of safe staffing. Apart from the safeguarding, there is work ongoing in the Department with regard to a safe staffing framework.”
“We have to ensure we have a system in place that is properly regulated and that ultimately provides good, safe care to older people. A couple of other points came across as well. At the moment, HIQA goes to the District Court to impose fines on providers. We are very open to giving HIQA the power to impose fines directly. These are matters we will look at. We are considering all aspects. HIQA is also doing a review itself. Deputies Barry Ward and Máire Devine brought up two cases. I ask them to report those cases. If people are being abused, they should report those cases to HIQA and the relevant authorities and nothing less. I welcome that the subjects of the RTÉ investigations have been referred to An Garda Síochána. I expect that the chief inspector in HIQA will use the full powers available to him.”
“People are delivering a great service in their communities. Sláintecare came out of the health committee. It was a cross-party document adopted by the Government. It was about bringing care back to the home. The programme for Government commits to bringing forward statutory home care. It is a priority for me as Minister of State. The first step is bringing forward legislation on home care providers. Such providers are not currently regulated. Thereafter, we must look at how we define statutory home care and then put a statutory home care scheme in place. This is something I am passionate about and that we are very much committed to. It has come up repeatedly. People prefer to live in their homes if at all possible. Nevertheless, there will always be a requirement for long-term residential care.”
“I also want to see the safeguarding legislation. The programme for Government commits to bringing a policy on safeguarding to Cabinet. That will include bringing forward safeguarding legislation. I am utterly committed to that. We are actively working on it. It is a priority for the Government for the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and I to bring it to Cabinet and to put it in place. We also have to look at how we regulate the groups. The parent companies are not regulated by HIQA. We need to change that. That is a procedural thing. I will refer to something that came up in many of the contributions. What we saw in the two nursing homes on the "RTÉ Investigates" programme was horrific but, while I commend RTÉ on the programme, there are an awful lot of very good nursing homes out there.”
“I thank all the Members. Some 40 Members spoke in this debate. People were very constructive. Like everyone else, I was shocked by the programme. It was wanton neglect and abuse. I thank the Members for their very constructive engagement. I will attempt to cover the areas that people brought up. What we saw happening on the programme was pure wanton neglect and abuse of older people. It is as simple as that. We have to make the system better and more robust. How do we go about doing that? As HIQA itself has acknowledged, we have to look at whether the processes can be improved. Every system can be improved. That will involve looking at processes. There are things we can do like making reports in real time. At the moment, the reports that are published are historical. To make them up to date would be a very straightforward thing.”
“I thank the Senator. The amendment he put forward has been ruled out of order. To give context, the omission of such exemptions from rent increases would be very difficult for landlords and for enforcement by the Residential Tenancies Board. The proposed amendment also provides for regulation-making power for the Minister to provide a compensation scheme for landlords who suffer loss as a consequence of the exemptions from rent increases for the cohort in question. This amendment would give rise to a significant cost to the Exchequer and would likely raise significant legal issues, not least the loosely framed regulation-making powers to be given to the Minister to compensate landlords. That is what I have been given by the Minister, Deputy Browne, as the reason for ruling the amendment out of order.”
“Allowing a rent increase of up to 2% pro rata is considered to provide a reasonable balance between stable rent control and allowing landlords to adjust rents in line with general inflation, bearing in mind that achieving 2% general inflation is a stated price stability mandate target of the European Central Bank. I cannot accept the amendment.”
“The most effective way to reduce and stabilise rents in the medium to long term is to increase supply and accelerate the delivery of housing for private rental, cost rental and social rental sectors. Allowing a rent increase of up to 2% pro rata is considered to provide a reasonable balance between stable rent control and allowing landlords to adjust rents in line with general inflation, bearing in mind that achieving 2% general inflation is a stated price stability mandate target of the European Central Bank. I cannot accept the amendment.”
“I thank Senators McCormack and Fitzpatrick. I cannot accept amendment No. 1 tabled by Sinn Féin, which appears to have the aim of introducing a ban on rent increases. The Government's firm view is that the imposition of a ban on rent increases is highly likely to be the subject of a legal challenge, would almost certainly deter continued investment in the rental accommodation market and would cause greater recourse to the State for social housing supports. The current rent pressure zone arrangements, under which rent increases are capped at 2% growth pro rata where inflation, as measured by the harmonised index of consumer prices, is higher, were introduced as a balanced set of arrangements to regulate rents.”
“The Government is acutely aware of the difficulties faced by many renters in accessing affordable and suitable rental accommodation in today's constrained market. We all share the common goal of providing quality affordable accommodation for renters. The programme for Government commits to providing a supply of affordable rental accommodation and security of tenure for renters. The Government is developing policy responses with regard to additional accommodation. I commend the Bill to the House and look forward to progressing through the Remaining Stages of the Bill. It is an important interim measure, pending implementation of comprehensive rent reform next March. The Minister, Deputy Browne, looks forward to bringing that Bill to the Oireachtas for debate as soon as practicable.”
“Section 4 amends section 8(2) of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019 to provide for a two-month extension until 28 February 2026 of the operation of existing RPZs that were designated under section 24A(5) of the principal Act. I thank the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, as the Minister, Deputy Browne, has done, for waiving formal pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. Departmental officials attended a meeting to provide an informal briefing, which I hope Senators found helpful. I also thank the Chief Whip and the Business Committee for making time available in the busy schedule. I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators for facilitating the Bill passing through Seanad Éireann.”
“Section 3(a) provides for a two-month extension until 28 February 2026 of the operation of RPZs in the administrative areas of Cork City Council, Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council, which were deemed to be RPZs under section 24B(1) of the principal Act. Section 3(b) provides for a two-month extension until 28 February 2026 of the operation of RPZs in the local electoral area of Drogheda rural, which was deemed to be an RPZ under section 24B(2) of the principal Act. Section 3(c) provides, through a new section 24B(3), for the deeming of any area that is not already an RPZ to become an RPZ from the day after the passing of this Bill until 28 February 2026.”
“Sections 1 and 5 contain standard provisions. Section 1 defines "Principal Act" to mean the Residential Tenancies Act 2004. Section 5 provides for the Short Title, commencement, collective citation and construction of the Bill. Section 2 amends section 20, concerning the frequency with which rent review may occur, of the principal Act to provide for the termination of bi-annual rent reviews outside of RPZs, as the entire country will become an RPZ from the day after the passing of this Bill. Section 3 amends section 24, concerning areas deemed to be rent pressure zones, of the principal Act.”
“The impact of this has become apparent in the apartment completion figures for 2024 where we saw a reduction of 24% from 2023 following several consecutive years of increasing delivery. The Housing Agency review, the private rental sector review of 2024, the Department of Finance report on the flow of finance for residential apartments for 2024, the Housing Commission, the ESRI, the OECD and the IMF all identify that the current rent control system has had an impact on the supply of new private rented accommodation. The Bill aims to quickly protect all renters from rent inflation. From next March, a new approach to rent control and stronger tenancy protections will be implemented. I will now outline, as I will be taking Committee Stage, the provisions of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025, which contains five sections.”
“Given the critical need to increase supply of new apartment development for the rental market, rent increases for apartments subject to commencement notice on or after 10 June will be linked to the CPI without the 2% cap. The Government has committed to achieving a stable and predictable policy to attract and retain the private investment needed to meet our housing targets. It will take time for supply to come on stream given the nature of large-scale residential development. An increase in the supply of private rental accommodation is crucial to supporting the Government's overall housing target and addressing affordability in the private rental sector. Supply is key. Reports indicate that very little private investment at scale has gone into the development of new home builds for the private rental sector since mid-2022.”
“At its meeting on 10 June, the Government approved new policy measures to provide for an enhancement of rent control protections from 1 March 2026. The stronger tenancy protections will provide further improvements to security of tenure. The rental sector provides homes for a significant proportion of the population. We need to give people more certainty that their tenancy will not be ended. We want to provide more stability and confidence to renters. In order to stimulate investment and keep existing landlords in the market, there is resetting of rents to market value for new tenancies created. This is for first-time tenancies between parties. Existing tenancies stay as they are. New tenancies between parties, on or after 1 March, will be allowed as part of reform of rent controls.”
“I have been listening to the debate. If my record is correct, 11 Senators contributed. I want to acknowledge their contributions. What I heard is that Senators agree that it is important that all tenancies across the country be protected as soon as possible under the current rent increase limits that apply to rent pressure zones. This Bill provides the necessary protections for all tenants from the day after the passing this Bill until 28 February 2026. In line with the commitment in Housing for All, a review of the private rental market was undertaken by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and published in July 2024. The review recommended a comprehensive examination of the current RPZ system.”
“Such due diligence is necessary in advance of implementing measures such as legislating for a register as set out in this Bill. As a result, the Government amendment seeks to allow time for the committee and the Department of Health to conduct their analysis and consideration before the Bill progresses. This is necessary as, given that a suite of measures is already in place to encourage transparency, a holistic consideration encompassing regulatory and legal considerations is required in advance of the introduction of any further measures. This is needed to ensure that any measures are proportional and achieve their goal of increased transparency with minimal or no unintended consequences. I welcome the debate and again thank the Deputy for raising this important matter.”
“These proposals contain wide-ranging powers and responsibilities. In addition to assessing the funding model, consideration of the parameters and safeguards of these powers will also need further consideration. This is to ensure a proportionate approach and also to acknowledge circumstances where commercial sensitivities may arise. In this context, the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll McNeill, has written to the Joint Committee on Health outlining these matters and her support for an exploration of them in further detail. The Department of Health will also give consideration to how well current measures are working and to what more could be done. It will consult further with the HPRA about the role proposed.”
“The welcome development of a national framework should include analysis of existing measures and their effectiveness, international best practice, minimising unintended consequences, proportionality of an enhanced framework for transparency, and structural engagement with key stakeholders. In particular, consideration of costs is required, particularly as the Bill envisages expanding the role of the HPRA to receive declarations from pharmaceutical companies, maintain a register of payments made by pharmaceutical companies and carry out audits and inspect the books of pharmaceutical companies. Any such granting of powers would require resources and additional capacity. Therefore, an appropriate funding model will need to be scoped, assessed and determined, including in the context of whether Exchequer funding is required.”
“While the measures across the four areas I just outlined contribute to improved transparency, accountability and public disclosure, the Bill before the House gives us the opportunity to do more. The Government is supportive of the principles outlined in the Bill, and such measures would also be welcomed by key stakeholders, including patients. However, broader consideration than what this Bill currently provides for is needed. This Bill presents a potential opportunity to ensure that it is built on a national framework that achieves a balanced approach of enhanced transparency, ethical collaboration, accountability and public disclosure to maintain public trust in our healthcare system.”
“IPHA represents pharmaceutical companies that manufacture or supply originator or on-patent medicines. The MFI is a pharmaceutical industry body that represents member companies which manufacture non-patent medicines such as generic, biosimilar or value-added medicines. Members of both IPHA and the MFI must disclose financial interactions with healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations. Examples of transfers of value include payments for research and development, donations, sponsorships, consultancy fees, registration fees, and travel costs. Disclosures can be made on IPHA's website, which includes data from up to 50 companies, 11 of which are non-IPHA members. These disclosures are filed annually and are available for three years. However, this method of voluntary disclosure is only mandatory for IPHA members.”
“For example, codes of conduct across professions include the Medical Council's Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland’s Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Nurses and Midwives, the Dental Council’s Code of Practice relating to Professional Behaviour and Ethical Conduct, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland's Standards and Ethics for Pharmacists, and CORU's Codes of Professional Conduct and Ethics for its regulated professions. I will outline the voluntary pharmaceutical industry's self-regulation codes of practice. There are two main pharmaceutical trade bodies in Ireland, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, IPHA, and Medicines for Ireland, MFI. They operate a disclosures system for their members.”
“These codes of practice set standards for conduct, and include stipulations such as that professionals must avoid entering into agreements that may result in actual or perceived conflicts of interest; manage and declare conflicts of interest; not accept inducements, financial or otherwise, or incentives that could reasonably be perceived as affecting their professional judgment for reasons of personal or commercial benefit; and must not accept any gifts or favours from healthcare pharmaceutical companies or patients that could reasonably give cause or be perceived to cause a conflict of interest.”
“For public health employees outside the remit of this Act, section 17 of the HSE's national financial regulations prohibits all employees from receiving benefits or hospitality that could compromise integrity. Nominal benefits must be disclosed to their line managers. In addition, the code of practice around the governance of State bodies advises against giving and receiving gifts or benefits that could affect judgment and that could reasonably give cause or be perceived to cause a conflict of interest. Third, there are professional codes of conduct and ethics for healthcare practitioners. While HSE employees have obligations under the Ethics in Public Office Act, many healthcare professionals are not HSE employees. However, across the regulated professions, there are codes of conduct and ethics in place.”
“Second, there are the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001, as amended, which require HCPs in designated public positions or directorships to disclose interests that could influence their official duties. Sections 17 and 18 of the 1995 Act and section 11 of the 2001 Act mandate the disclosure of material interests. This act requires HSE employees at or above grade VIII salary, which is €81,144, to declare interests that could influence their duties. Examples of declarations include occupational income over €2,600 from non-HSE sources; travel, accommodation and meals funding; shareholdings over €13,000 or 5% of a company; or gifts, property or services over €650.”
“First, there are the Medicinal Products (Control of Advertising) Regulations 2007, which are enforced by the medicines regulator, the HPRA. The HPRA operates an advertising surveillance programme to ensure compliance with the regulations. The HPRA’s monitoring of the giving of moneys or support by pharmaceutical companies to healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations falls within the remit of these regulations, via regulation 21, which relates to inducements and hospitality. If breaches are identified by the HPRA through the different elements of its advertising surveillance programme, including during inspections, the HPRA takes appropriate follow-up action with the MAH company to address those breaches.”
“It is important that such partnerships continue. However, transfers of value can create conflicts of interest, and I understand that some international research has linked them to higher prescribing rates, higher costs and lower prescribing quality. This Bill seeks to enhance transparency by establishing a statutory register of transfers of value. The Government is not opposing the Bill as enhanced transparency is ultimately aimed at protecting the public. However, transparency is only one way of ensuring accountability, minimising and eliminating conflicts of interest and thus ensuring the best care possible. There is already a suite of measures in place designed to ensure transparency, accountability and public disclosure while minimising conflicts of interest, which measures I will now outline across four broad areas.”
“There should be transparency in transactions between commercial interests and healthcare providers. This is so the public can be assured patient care is based solely on clinical evidence and experience and is in the best interests of patients and their safety. Payments or other financial supports between the pharmaceutical industry companies, commonly known as market authorisation holder, MAH, companies, to healthcare providers, HCPs, or healthcare organisations, HCOs, are referred to as transfers of value by the industry. Such financial supports are common both in Ireland and abroad. These transfers have had a positive impact on our healthcare system and benefit patients and the public by advancing medical research, conducting clinical trials and ultimately delivering numerous innovative medicines.”
“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That” and substitute the following: "Dáil Éireann resolves that the Healthcare (Transparent Payments) Bill 2022 be deemed to be read a second time this day twelve months, to allow the Joint Committee on Health and the Department of Health to consider matters further.". I acknowledge the intention behind this Bill and thank the Deputies for raising such an important matter. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Transparency in the relationship between the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries and healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations is of great importance. The Government agrees with the general principles of this Bill.”
“In my role as Minister of State, working with my colleague the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and with the Government, I will be working night and day to ensure this is rectified and never happens again.”
“Like everyone else, I have one concern above everything else - politics aside; I have been at this 20 years - and that is the care of older people. What we witnessed in the two nursing homes was unforgivable. No one should be treated in that way. We have to do whatever is required here. We have to get a system that provides reassurance to residents and their families regarding the delivery of safe healthcare the length and breadth of Ireland. We all know there are nursing homes delivering great care. There are great staff delivering great care. Once again, however, I go back to the key point. Older persons in nursing homes must be respected and cared for. What we saw in the "RTÉ Investigates" programme, and I commend the team on its work, was neglect and abuse of older people of such a magnitude that it can never happen again.”
“I had follow-up meetings with the nursing home sector to ensure it was reaching out to its members on the provision of safe care through nursing homes. I then met with representatives from the HSE and its community nursing home units and asked that they would do likewise in terms of reaching out to nursing homes and residents and regarding what is happening as we speak. I met with the HSE safeguarding teams and with the directors of nursing. I had meetings with them yesterday regarding their interaction. What happened should not have happened. The issues in Portlaoise were identified in the two HIQA reports. The Beneavin report did not highlight that fact. These are questions I have put to HIQA, such as how this happened and why the compliance plans were not implemented. This is a basic process.”
“When this issue broke, like everyone else I watched the programme. My immediate reaction on seeing the wanton neglect was to reassure older people and to deal with the issue for the older people in the two nursing homes, namely, the Residence and Beneavin Manor. I rang Bernard Gloster after the programme was aired to ask that the HSE would put in safeguarding teams and direct its nurses into the two nursing homes. I had met representatives from HIQA earlier that day. The names of the two nursing homes had been released by RTÉ, so I immediately sought a meeting to ask HIQA to continue with intensive engagement, provide a report by the end of this week, an interim report on the Emeis group overall and a final report next week.”
“I also firmly reiterate that poor care, mistreatment or any other form of abuse of any person living in long-term residential care centres is wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Every resident of a nursing home deserves dignity, respect and the highest standards of care. As Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Government are absolutely committed to ensuring everything possible is done to ensure the distressing scenes we witnessed in the recent "RTÉ Investigates" programme do not happen again in any nursing home in the country. We saw clear neglect, abuse and violations of basic human rights for older people. I want to restate and be clear that every nursing home resident deserves, and should expect, the highest standards of care. I cannot repeat that enough.”
“I am pleased we have been able to initiate the creation of that register, which will be hugely beneficial in addressing the needs of people with dementia. The Government will continue to build on the already substantive investment in dementia over the next five years. My absolute focus over the lifetime of this Government will be on ensuring Ireland can genuinely call itself a great country in which to grow old. As Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I want to ensure our older population feel valued and respected and when health or social care services are required, that our older citizens receive the best care possible, whether in their own homes and communities or in long-term residential care settings.”
“There has also been €19 million in new recurring investment in dementia services over the past five budgets and the Government is committed to continuing to invest in improving services for people with dementia. This Government has also made specific commitments to improving dementia services in the 2025 programme for Government, and since my appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for older people, I have been working in earnest towards their implementation. In May, I was pleased to announce the implementation of one of the programme for Government commitments, the development of a national dementia registry for Ireland. The national dementia registry will provide us with vital data on many aspects of the care of people with dementia. This was a top priority for representative groups and people with dementia.”
“I am committed to improving services for people with dementia and their families, and just over two years ago, in May 2023, the HSE published its new Model of Care for Dementia. The model of care sets out care pathways to advance timely diagnosis and post-diagnostic support and care for people living with dementia in Ireland and sets targets to achieve this goal. To support the implementation of this model of care, the Government has funded new specialist diagnostic memory services in locations around the country. Establishing these essential services will ensure there is timely access to both diagnosis and post-diagnostic supports and a reduction in waiting times.”
“To this end, the Department of Health and the HSE, alongside the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, are supporting a housing with support demonstrator project in Inchicore, Dublin. This is a collaborative, cross-sectoral and cross-departmental project that recognises the need for a joined-up approach to addressing the critical issue of creating housing choice for our ageing population, enabling people with lower care needs to live independently for longer. It is the hope that this project will act as a pathfinder project for the future mainstreaming of this form of housing. I was pleased that this innovative housing project reached a milestone recently, with the first tenants receiving the keys to their new homes. As I have stated, an ageing population means that the prevalence of dementia is increasing.”
“These services support the enhanced community care model and facilitate the HSE to deliver a co-ordinated system of care, integrated around older people's needs. The programme for Government 2025 also commits to a new all-of-government national housing plan to follow Housing for All. In my dual role as Minister of State with responsibilities for older people and housing, I am committed to a focus on housing options and choices for our older population in the context of the new housing plan. It is vital that we continue to increase the housing options available to older people and to facilitate the integration of supports in a more coherent way between the housing and health sectors.”
“The programme commenced in 2021 and saw the introduction of a new person-centric, robust, support-co-ordination service that will enable older people to continue to live in their homes or in a home more suited to their needs and will help older people to live with a sense of independence, autonomy, and to feel part of their communities. The HSE has also partnered with ALONE as part of the roll-out of the enhanced community care programme to develop a support co-ordination service. The focus of the service is to support older people to live independently at home for as long as possible by facilitating access to services including befriending, social prescribing and assistive technologies and by co-ordinating linkages to local community groups.”
“The integrated care programme for older persons seeks to ensure older people with complex care needs can access care quickly, at or near home, through care pathways specifically designed for them and targeting fragility, fall prevention, and dementia. The Department of Health and the HSE also support a number of complementary support co-ordination models which help our older population to age in place for as long as possible and reduce the rate of older people transferring to long-term residential care. The healthy age friendly homes programme is an innovative partnership between the local government sector through Age Friendly Ireland and Sláintecare.”
“The focus is on implementing end-to-end care pathways that will care for people at home and over time prevent referrals and admissions to acute hospitals where it is safe and appropriate to do so, enabling a "home first" approach. As part of the enhanced community care programme, the integrated care programme for older persons model aims to improve the quality of life for older people by providing access to integrated care and support that is planned around their needs and choices. These interventions support older people to live well in their own homes and communities without the need to access acute care settings.”
“Day centres are a crucial part of social care provision in our communities that provide invaluable support for people who may, for any number of reasons, experience isolation and loneliness. Currently, day care services are provided across the country by private, voluntary and HSE-funded day care centres. Since its establishment, the meals on wheels service has also been an invaluable resource in helping older people in our communities to maintain their health and independence through the provision of healthy meals. In line with Sláintecare priorities, the enhanced community care programme is a major reform programme. The objective of the programme is to deliver increased levels of healthcare, with service delivery reoriented towards general practice, primary care, and community-based services.”
“The legislation to be developed will regulate home support services in Ireland by establishing a system for registering providers of these services, under which it will be an offence to operate a service without being registered. Alongside this, HIQA is currently finalising draft national quality standards for submission to the Minister. The first step we must take in statutory homecare is to bring in legislation to regulate homecare providers. We then need to define what statutory homecare is and look at a funding model. This is something I am absolutely committed to but the first step is to legislate for homecare providers. The programme for Government has a strong focus on community supports for older people, including day centres and meals on wheels.”
“The delivery of home support hours is increasing year on year and will continue to do so as demand is expected to increase due to an ageing demographic and older people’s wish to stay at home for as long as possible. The programme for Government commits to the design of a statutory home care scheme, which is an absolute key priority for me as Minister of State for older people. In the time I have been in this post, this is something I very much want to progress. The Department of Health is progressing the development of a regulatory framework for providers of home support services to support this commitment. The new system of regulation for home support will ensure the public can be confident that the services provided are of a high standard and bring Ireland in line with best international practice.”
“It is an ambitious and multifaceted programme designed to move Ireland towards a universal healthcare service. The 2025 programme for Government is dedicated, among other things, to the vision of creating a caring society, and commits to a range of actions that will advance a social care model which supports older people to live full and independent lives in their own homes and communities, with the appropriate wraparound supports. It is incumbent on all of us to work collaboratively to realise this vision. Home support is an essential service for thousands of people each day across the country and is highly valued by service users and their families. Since 2020, the Government has increased the budget for home support by more than 70%, from €487 million to €838 million in budget 2025.”
“Sláintecare is focused on providing the right care, in the right place, and at the right time. Instead of relying on hospitals as the primary location of care, the focus is on providing more care in the community, or at home. This is also accompanied by a strong emphasis on prevention, which will help people stay healthier for longer, and reduce the number of people who would otherwise need medical care in an acute setting. The recently published Sláintecare 2025+ plan sets out an integrated and whole-of-system reform programme to be implemented over the period 2025-27 and is designed to respond to the demographic challenges that Ireland is facing. The plan builds on the progress made in implementing successive programme for Government and Sláintecare implementation strategies between 2018 and 2024.”