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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“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dail Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — the Government aims to minimise the level of vacancy in every local authority area, and this is reflected in a decade of Exchequer investment in addressing long term vacancy, while acknowledging that there will always be a level of vacancy in the system, as tenancies end for various reasons and homes are prepared for reletting; — significant progress has been made over the past 10 years to address long term vacant local authority homes, which has been supported by Government funding of over €360 million; — funding was ramped up considerably in 2020 to particularly tackle legacy voids and begin the transition to planned maintenance; — the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) has found that across the local Government sector, the level of vacant local authority homes is only 2.8 per cent, the lowest rate in many years, reflecting the success of Government's approach; — there is no cap on the amount that can be spent per home, provided the maximum average of €11,000 is maintained across the works programme; — in addition, local authorities can complete the suite of works under the Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme (EERP) in parallel, up to a maximum of €48,850 per unit, increasing the overall funding available per unit as compared to the pre-2020 position; — local authority homes are in general wholly owned by local authorities, which are encouraged to ring-fence some of their own resources from housing rents and other sources to the maintenance and protection of these homes; — the Voids Programme operates on the same basis as all other Exchequer funded programmes; — the transition to a programme of planned maintenance began in 2022, and aims to provide a sustainable model of management and maintenance to proactively address the level of maintenance requests annually; — the commencement of stock condition surveys funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which are supported by the very recent roll out of a dedicated Information and Communications Technology system which will capture stock condition data and provide for informed work programmes and strategic asset management across all 31 local authorities; — the funding available in 2025 for planned maintenance is a 100 per cent increase on 2024, and it is expected to increase further over the coming years as the shift to planned maintenance continues; and — local authorities determine their priority works programme based on the condition of their units and the available funding, and that stock surveys are key part of this decision-making at local level; further notes that: — addressing vacancy across the housing sector, both public and private, has been and remains a key priority of Government; — providing good quality homes that meet the relevant standards in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 is another key priority, which the transition to planned maintenance seeks to support; — the EERP for local authority homes aims to increase the energy efficiency of those homes, increasing comfort levels and reducing energy costs for tenants; — staff issues, including the nature of employment in local authorities and requirements for Garda clearance where relevant are the operational responsibility of local authority chief executives; — maximum flexibility in terms of delegated sanction is already in place, within the framework of the Public Spending Code; — the allocation of social homes is a local authority function under section 10 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the Social Housing Allocation Regulations 2011 and requires several factors to be considered; and — NOAC publishes a report on vacancy matters, including turnaround times, annually; and highlights that: — over 13,100 vacant local authority homes have been returned to active use since 2020, aided by Exchequer funding of over €189 million; — since 2021, 9,092 homes were retrofitted under the new EERP; — funding for the EERP has increased from €17.9 million in 2021 to almost €90 million in 2024, demonstrating the importance the Government places on this programme; — over 2,350 stock surveys have been recorded on the new asset management system; — dedicated teams are in place in both the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Local Government Management Agency to support this work; and — the Programme for Government commits to a new Voids Programme, with an emphasis on shorter turnaround times, and that the transition to rolling planned maintenance will support this.".”
“I will bring the point she raised back to the Minister for Transport and the Department. The Department of Transport, the NTA and the operators are working to ensure the optimal deployment of resources across the public transport network to match passenger demand.”
“The Government recognises that transport connectivity is important for people who live and work in Ireland, including Kildare, and is key to bringing life back into our villages, towns and urban centres. To deal with the specific point the Senator raised, the proposed route 888 linking Allenwood to Athy is expected to launch next month. Discussions between the NTA and Local Link Kildare South Dublin on a route connecting Suncroft to Kildare-Newbridge are now at an advanced stage and the NTA expects to finalise those in the coming weeks. I note the point the Senator raised about a Newbridge-to-Maynooth service but, as I said, a review of the network is under way and this needs to take account of a number of commercial bus operators operating between Newbridge and Maynooth currently.”
“Discussions between the NTA and Local Link Kildare South Dublin on a route connecting Suncroft to Kildare-Newbridge are now at an advanced stage, and the NTA expects to finalise details in the coming weeks. A review of the network - Newbridge to Maynooth University - is now under way. However, this needs to take account of a number of commercial bus operators operating between Newbridge and Maynooth currently. The Department of Transport, the NTA and the operators are working to ensure the optimised deployment of resources across the public transport network to match passenger demand.”
“The new and enhanced services introduced to date have added in excess of 300,000 weekly vehicle kilometres to the Transport for Ireland, TFI, public transport network. The five-year plan also aims to improve the co-ordination and connections of different bus and rail services in order to provide a seamless and efficient transport system throughout rural Ireland. Forty-nine of the new and enhanced services provide connections with existing rail services. Passenger numbers have seen a fivefold increase since the roll-out of Connecting Ireland began in January 2022, with a record weekly high of 105,986 passenger journeys recorded in October 2024. I now turn to the specific routes Senator O'Loughlin raised. The proposed route 888 linking Allenwood to Athy is expected to launch in June, which is next month.”
“Funding of €15 million was secured to support the roll-out of new and enhanced bus services in 2025, including the continuation of BusConnects, Connecting Ireland and the planned introduction of further new town services. Funding for the rural transport programme has increased from €21 million in 2019 to €57 million in 2024, and over 150 new or enhanced services have been rolled out under the Connecting Ireland programme since 2022. The roll-out of the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, which was action 32 of the sustainable mobility policy action plan, has been hugely successful. Under this plan, 240 towns and villages have been newly connected to the public transport network. Sixty-one new connections have been established to healthcare facilities and 41 new connections have been made to higher education facilities.”
“In the new programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, the Government has committed to increasing Local Link services in rural areas to better connect villages, towns and cities. To support this objective, under budget 2025, the Department of Transport secured €658.442 million in funding for public service obligation, PSO, and Local Link services provided by State operators and under contract by the NTA this year. This includes funding for the continuation of the various fare initiatives, such as the young adult card and the 90-minute fare, until the end of 2025. Funding has been provided to extend free child fares on PSO services to include those aged five to eight years.”
“I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this important topic, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien. I wish to clarify that the Minister has responsibility for policy and overall funding relating to public transport but neither he nor his officials are involved in the day-to-day operation of public transport services. The statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally rests with the National Transport Authority, NTA. The NTA works with the public transport operators, which deliver the services and have responsibility for day-to-day operational matters. That said, the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options, and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal.”
“Following the closing date for payment or entering medical card details, Bus Éireann will close the portal, giving Bus Éireann time to assess all applications and plan for routes for the service for the 2025-26 year. I will bring the set of circumstances the Senator raised to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Department of education. I have no doubt that the Senator will follow up with them and Bus Éireann as well.”
“I again thank Senator Kennelly for raising this important matter. I will bring the specific concerns he raised in respect of the schoolchildren in Lixnaw and Abbeydorney. The Senator is familiar with the area and genuinely concerned about the matter. The Bus Éireann family portal is accepting payments or medical card details until 6 June. It is important that parents ensure they submit their payments or medical card details. After this deadline of 6 June, applications will be deemed late and a late submission of payment or medical card details may mean that a seat is not available. This is something people should be conscious of.”
“This will give Bus Éireann time to assess all applications and plan for routes and services for the 2025-26 school year. Routes may be altered or extended depending on the number and locations of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.”
“Bus Éireann has also advised that there is a mainstream service that operates from this area to that post-primary centre. The closing date for new applications for school transport services for the 2025-2026 school year was Friday, 25 April 2025. Any new applications made after the closing date are considered late applications and, thus, may mean that a seat is not available. The Bus Éireann family portal is accepting payments or medical card details until 6 June. Payments or medical card details submitted after the deadline date will be deemed late. A late submission of payment or medical card details may mean that a seat is not available. Following the closing date for payment or entering medical card details, the Bus Éireann family portal will close.”
“At post-primary level, the pupil must reside not less than 4.8 km from and be attending their nearest post-primary education centre, as determined by the Department or Bus Éireann, with regard to ethos and language. Bus Éireann has advised that pupils residing in the Lixnaw area are generally not eligible for school transport to the post-primary centres in Tralee as they are nearer to two different post-primary centres depending on their address. Bus Éireann has advised that there is a service that pupils of this area can avail of, with pick-up points of approximately 9.2 km or 7.2 km away. The Senator already alluded to that. Bus Éireann has advised that pupils residing in the Abbeydorney area are generally eligible for school transport to the post-primary centre in Tralee, as it is their closest post-primary centre.”
“I thank Senator Kennelly for the opportunity to update him on the school transport service in these areas. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth with responsibility for special education and inclusion, Deputy Michael Moynihan. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. As Senator Kennelly may be aware that, under the terms of the school transport scheme, children are eligible for transport at primary level when they reside not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest national school.”
“The Deputy referred to the HIQA report. Obviously, it operates independently. It was felt the current location on the campus was impacting the residents of the nursing home, that is, the community nursing unit itself, so an agreement was reached that it would look for an alternative permanent location. In the interim it has temporarily located on another area in the campus where there is separate access. The older persons services in primary care is working with St. Joseph’s Longford to look at a permanent location. I will take the Deputy’s point about it being located in the area back to the HSE to ensure it is incorporated into the deliberations on a permanent solution.”
“Some €19 million in additional recurring funding has been allocated over the past five years for dementia services. The programme for Government features eight specific commitments on dementia, the majority aiming to continue the expansion of dementia services nationwide. Given the commitments, and we take the trust in which the motion has been put forward, it is clear that the Government is dedicated to sustainable funding and supports, carers, home support and the nursing home support scheme. As I said earlier, the Minister for Health has proposed that the motion not be opposed.”
“This Government’s commitment to delivering on this goal is demonstrated by the allocation of €4 million in budget 2025 to staff and operationalise an additional 615 community beds. Those are public beds. The new nursing home residential upgrade scheme, with a sanction of €10 million, will provide financial support to private and voluntary nursing homes to improve compliance with HIQA standards. The programme for Government has a strong focus on community supports for older persons, including day centres and Meals on Wheels. An additional €10 million has been allocated for the community capital funding initiative. This will support improvements to service provision for HSE-funded Meals on Wheels and day centres. The Government is committed to the area of dementia.”
“Recent legislative changes recognise the distinctive position of farming and agricultural land. The scope of those eligible to avail of reliefs under the nursing homes support scheme has been expanded, making the fair deal scheme more accessible for farm and business owners who require long-term residential care. As is mentioned in the motion, amendments to the definition of those eligible to be considered as a family successor have expanded to include cousins, great-nephews and great-nieces, and great-grandchildren. The delivery of additional long-term residential care capacity in community nursing units and community hospitals is required to deliver on the programme for Government, Sláintecare and Project Ireland 2040 commitments.”
“The Government is committed to ensuring that home care is regulated and that there are quality standards in place against which services can be inspected. In doing so, everyone can be assured that their provider meets minimum standards of quality, safeguarding and governance. The desired direction of travel is to provide care as close to one’s home as possible, which is in line with Sláintecare. That said, long-term residential care remains a crucial part of the continuum of care. The programme for Government commits to strengthening the nursing home sector by increasing funding for the nursing homes support scheme, also known as the fair deal scheme. Budget 2025 increased investment in the fair deal scheme by €67.6 million. The allocation for the scheme is now more than €1.2 billion annually. The following is referenced in the motion.”
“In 2025, the delivery of longer-term recommendations will continue, including a survey of the experience of healthcare assistants, which I am due to launch shortly. The development of the statutory home care scheme is a priority. It was in the previous programme for Government and has been reiterated in the current programme for Government. It will be a process. Delivery of this scheme requires effort across a range of areas. We must bring in regulation of home care providers. We are doing that through the health (amendment) (licensing of professional home support providers) Bill 2024. It will establish a licensing framework for professional home support services and provide for regulation by HIQA. Final drafting is under way, and I hope to present it to Cabinet in this quarter.”
“It is acknowledged that while progress is being made, disparities in accessing home support services remain. Many Deputies made reference to the fact that rural areas are particularly affected and there are ongoing recruitment challenges. In recognition of this, the strategic workforce advisory group on home carers and nursing home healthcare assistants was established in 2022. It set out to examine the challenges in front-line carer roles in the home support and long-term residential care sectors. The implementation of the group's 16 recommendations is well advanced. Reforms have been delivered as a result, including payment for travel time for home support providers and paying carers the national minimum wage at a minimum.”
“The project will also aim to develop effective responses to support women carers. Through the HSE, investing in services for older people has been a national priority in recent years. There has been an increase of approximately €1 billion in funding for services for older people since 2020. This year has seen an increase of €350 million on the amount secured under budget 2024, bringing the total figure to €3 billion in budget 2025. Improving access to home support is a priority for this Government. The budget secured for home support for older people in 2025 was the largest ever at circa €838 million to support 60,000 people. The budget has increased from just over €400 million in 2020 to €838 million. That increase is to support people to stay in their homes if they wish to do so and is in line with Sláintecare.”
“Respite may be provided in the community within the person's own home, in HSE residential care settings, by agreement with voluntary organisation or by contracted private facilities. Since 2021, the home support emergency respite scheme has been funded by the HSE through Family Carers Ireland to provide emergency respite care. I know how important that is. We want to continually provide additionality in that area. Deputies O'Flynn, O'Donoghue and others made reference to the role of women in caring. An additional €250,000 has been approved under the women's health fund for a project to support mid-life and older women family carers in collaboration with Family Carers Ireland. The project aims to research the impact of the gendered nature of family caring. Men also do this work but it is predominantly done by women.”
“It provides a standard package of supports to families in every region in tandem with the community and voluntary sector. The motion highlights regional disparities and one of the areas in which we are addressing that issue is the carer's guarantee. These supports include education and training, community carer supports, intensive and emergency supports, a freefone care line, psychosocial supports and the development and delivery of online supports for family carers. Increased funding for the carer's guarantee will also support the programme for Government commitment to increase support for carers by providing new training opportunities to support them in their caring. Acknowledging the impact of caring for family members, €62 million in funding is provided annually for respite beds in older persons' services.”
“That was part of budget 2025. I make reference to those two practical measures. The increase in the income disregard is being done with a view to gradually phasing out the means test during the lifetime of this Government. That measure is highlighted in the motion. To provide further supports to people who provide care to their families, 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 1 January, 7,614 people in receipt of these supports have gained GP visit card eligibility. In addition to these supports, we will deliver on the programme for Government commitment to fully fund the carer's guarantee. At the moment, the carer's guarantee is supported by an annual investment of €2.6 million.”
“This is being done with a view to gradually phasing out the means test during the lifetime of this Government. I will make two quick points. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue made reference to supports for carers. Everyone here, as practising politicians, will be aware that the respite care grant will be paid automatically to people who are availing of carer's allowance, carer's benefit or the domiciliary care allowance on 5 June. People who are not in receipt of the carer's allowance can apply for the scheme. It is not means tested and is worth €2,000 this year. It is a contribution towards recognising the work that carers do. That is a practical measure I want to highlight. In July this year, the income disregard for a single person will increase from €450 to €625 per week and from €900 to €1,150 per week for carers with a spouse or partner.”
“The Government recognises that the demographic challenges of our ageing population are already upon us. Investing heavily in services for older people means we can ensure that their later years can be lived in good health and in their communities for as long as possible. The Government is committed to supporting family carers. The Department of Social Protection provides a range of income supports for family carers. These include the carer's allowance, carer's benefit, carer's support grant and the domiciliary care allowance. The total value of payments in these schemes is estimated to be over €1.9 billion in 2025. Recognising the vital role of carers, the programme for Government sets out a timeline that commits to significantly increasing the income disregard for carer's allowance in each budget.”
“I welcome the opportunity to discuss fair and sustainable funding for carers, home support and the nursing homes support scheme. The Minister for Health is not opposing the motion. I echo the motion in acknowledging the indispensable contributions of carers and front-line healthcare workers. We all know that they do phenomenal work. Their valuable work supports older people, people with disabilities and individuals with high care needs to live independently in their homes and communities. This Government is committed to ensuring that carers are supported and that investment in services for older people continues at a high level and grows to meet the changing need of our population. The programme for Government sets out commitments that are ambitious but achievable.”
“Local authorities are involved through the CCMA with me and the Department officials in terms of working with the policy group. Ultimately, the key focus is to get a more focused policy around housing choices for older people into a new housing plan in all of its elements.”
“Taking the last point first, we have increased the grant amounts and income exemptions considerably. For instance, if someone has an income of below €40,000, they get 100% of the grant, the disabled persons grant and the housing adaptation grant, which was previously 95%. Furthermore, we have increased the level of the grants. We are always seeking to ensure that what is on offer meets the needs of people. The Deputy referred to Kerry. What is happening there can be replicated anywhere else in the country in terms of the desire that exists. It is about choice. What we want to do under the programme for Government is to mandate local authorities to find suitable sites in areas - towns and villages - to give that choice in terms of public housing to allow people who wish to right-size to do so. I am taking a holistic approach.”
“Through the local authority delivery action plans, I want there to be more of a focus on the delivery of housing for older people and on the choices available to individual local authorities.”
“I thank Deputy Cahill. He has covered many of the matters I wish to cover in the context of housing choice for older persons. On inclusion, we have older persons councils - through Age-Friendly Ireland - which very much engage with the local authorities. I am involving all older person representative organisations in the work I am doing in the context of the policy group on stakeholder engagement. We held a stakeholders engagement last week that was very productive. Regarding policy initiatives, we revised the housing adaptation plans. More recently, these have been expanded. There are areas we still need to look at, however. We have increased the level of the grants and the thresholds relating to people's income. The Deputy referred to examples. There are many examples.”
“Crucially, consideration of these proposals will feed into the development of the new housing plan that is currently being progressed in my Department. Advancement of a broader policy approach on rightsizing - as committed to in Housing for All - is also being considered as part of this process to deliver on the commitments made in the programme for Government. We are looking at aspects like bridging finance, but, ultimately, it is all about choice for older people. That is the fundamental basis of my policy around providing options for older people.”
“The commitments in the programme for Government include: mandating local authorities to find suitable sites for housing specifically designed for older adults, ensuring accessible options within local communities; making it easier to convert houses into separate living spaces to allow older adults to continue living in familiar surroundings while adapting to changing needs; supporting AHBs in developing and managing senior housing with on-site support services, thereby fostering safe and supportive communities; and reviewing and standardising the older persons housing financial contribution scheme. Work on these commitments by a policy group I recently established to explore proposals on how best to progress these commitments is ongoing.”
“I thank Deputy Cahill for raising this important matter. The Programme for Government - Securing Ireland’s Future includes several commitments to deliver practical housing for positive ageing. These commitments build upon the policy objectives in Housing for All that commit to increasing the housing options available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence.”
“I can only deal with what is the position now. It is down for priority drafting. The Minister is taking this matter very seriously. As indicated, a number of other matters have come to light during the first 18 months of the operation of the scheme and the Minister will consider a number of technical amendments also as part of this legislative change. These changes will assist in the efficient administration of the scheme and will enable the smoother operation of the grant scheme for applicants. I have no doubt Deputies Conway-Walsh and Mac Lochlainn have brought these matters to the direct attention of the Minister. I will do likewise and the officials will be watching the debate. I note, on a human level, the concerns of the constituents the Deputies represent. These are matters I will bring directly back to the Minister.”
“I thank both Deputies. I understand the frustration for people in these areas. As I already stated, the Minister and the Department sought legal advice that confirmed extending the increases the Deputies are talking about to a wider group of relevant owners requires amending the Act. I think everyone is agreeable on that. In the interest of equity and fairness, the Minister intends to extend the increase in the scheme cap and rates to apply to a wider group of relevant owners and this will be examined as part of the remediation of dwellings damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks (amendment) Bill. As Deputy Mac Lochlainn will know as Whip, that is in the summer 2025 Government legislative programme for priority drafting.”
“The scheme will include grant rates and caps as outlined in the private scheme for homeowners. The scheme will apply to local authorities and AHB homes located within designated local authorities. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage will apply the approach to focus on efficiencies and the best use of limiters available to undertake the mediation works.”
“At the end of April 2025, there were 2,697 applications to the grant scheme, with 162 homes where remediation works had been completed and a further 824 where work has commenced. The Government understands that this can be a difficult and challenging time for homeowners. On a human level, I expect that it is very difficult for people. The Department continues to work with key stakeholders on the operation of the scheme, including the relevant local authorities, the Housing Agency and the homeowner’s liaison officer where the concerns of the homeowners came to the Department. To deal with a point that Deputy Conway-Walsh referenced, a draft of the defective concrete blocks social homes scheme for local authorities and AHBs affected by defective blocks is being finalised.”
“The Deputy acknowledged that he met with the Minister. Each group raised important matters, including the need to extend the eligibility of the cap and rate increase to a larger group of homeowners. The visit demonstrated to the Minister first-hand the real difficulties homeowners are facing. It was further impressed upon the Minister the continued importance and contribution of the defective concrete blocks scheme in helping them to fix their homes and move on with their lives. The Government is committed to assisting homeowners to remediate damage caused by defective concrete blocks. The grant scheme was put in place to help people to fix their homes and move on with their lives. The scheme is working and real progress is being made.”
“This will be examined as part of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill, which has been included in the summer 2025 Government legislative programme for priority drafting. A number of other matters have come to light during the first 18 months of the operation of the scheme and the Minister will also consider a number of technical amendments as part of this legislative change. These changes will assist in the efficient administration of the scheme and will enable the smoother operation of the grant scheme for applicants. As Deputy Mac Lochlainn referenced, the Minister met with various stakeholders in Donegal on Monday, 12 May, including representatives from the Mica Action Group, along with a large group of Donegal county councillors and senior management of the council.”
“It should be noted the grant scheme grant rates were also examined and increased to between 7.4% and 8.7% in November 2024. The cap increase is in line with the provisions of the Act as set down by the Oireachtas, which allows for a maximum increase of 10% in the overall scheme cap. The Act also provides that any increase in the scheme cap or grant rates will apply to eligible relevant owners that are yet to receive a determination in respect of remediation option and grant amounts. The Department sought legal advice that confirmed that extending these increases to a wider group of relevant owners requires amending the Act. In the interest of equity and fairness, the Minister intends to extend the increase in the scheme cap and rates to apply to a wider group of relevant owners.”
“That is fine. I thank Deputies Conway-Walsh and Mac Lochlainn for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. As the Deputies will be aware, the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, which commenced on 22 June 2023, contains the current grant scheme and the related regulations that were adopted on 29 June 2023. Following updated costs reports that the Department received from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and advice from the expert group, a 10% increase in the overall scheme cap, which Deputy Mac Lochlainn acknowledged, was brought forward in October 2024, raising the cap from €420,000 to €462,000 for all homeowners yet to receive a grant determination by that date.”
“It is worth setting out the practical side of it. Since 2020, Government has increased the spending on home care packages by €338 million. That is a considerable amount of money that has clearly allowed people to stay in their homes. It is about choice. We must stick with the process. I am new in the role. A lot of work was done by my predecessor. It is now about bringing the legislation forward and bringing it through the Houses of the Oireachtas. I have no doubt we will be working on it in the Oireachtas Committee on Health, more particularly, in plenary session here and in the Seanad. We will then look to put a model in place that enhances the home care provision people have at home. The fair deal scheme took many years to introduce. It is about getting this right. Bringing it forward is a priority for me and the Government.”
“This is a statement of fact. That is the first step. We are looking at the funding model. The ESRI is doing a body of work, which I hope to receive very shortly, looking at capacity in the context of acute, older people and private health services, so it is part of it overall. The first step is to get the legislation passed to regulate the sector. We will look at a funding model to look to introducing a statutory home care scheme that gives people the right to statutory home care.”
“As Minister of State, I have a responsibility to navigate the introduction of a statutory home care scheme. I am utterly committed to it but it must be built on solid foundations and process. The home care sector is unregulated so we have to regulate it.”
“Alongside this legislation, the Department is working to address the future financing of home care, the reform of the model of service delivery and the breadth of issues relating to recruitment and retention in this sector, all in the context of a substantial expansion of the State-funded home support service.”
“The first legislative element is the health (amendment) (licensing of professional home support providers) Bill 2024, which will establish a licensing framework for professional home support services. The general scheme was approved by Government on 14 May 2024 and has been referred to the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for final drafting with a view to presenting the Bill to Cabinet in quarter 2 of 2025. This Bill will provide for the regulation of the sector by HIQA. Final amendments have been made to draft regulations for home support providers following public consultation.”
“I wish Deputy Rice well in his new role as Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Health. No doubt, we will be working with him. The programme for Government commits to designing a statutory home care scheme to allow people to stay in their own home for as long as possible. As Minister of State with responsibility for older people and housing, I am fully committed to delivering the design of the scheme and the operational and legislative reform that will be necessary to underpin it. Achieving this commitment requires a focused effort across several work streams, all contributing towards developing the statutory framework and improving experiences of those receiving home support.”
“It is my role to see if we can improve delivery of the service for people who have existing hours and are looking for additional hours and for people who need a new service. There is a key focus on people coming out of hospitals who have that acute need.”