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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“Dare I say it, but they are not just related to one Department. I have no doubt that he will be taking these up with those other Departments as well. I will bring the points the Deputy has raised here to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Browne, and the Department. I thank the Deputy again.”
“Effective planning is not solely about technical assessments or infrastructure co-ordination; it is also about ensuring communities have a genuine opportunity to shape the future of the places in which they live, work and raise their families. The Act strengthens the importance of engagement at all stages of the planning process, from the preparation of development plans and local area plans to consultation on individual planning applications and broader regeneration initiatives. As the provisions of the 2024 Act are commenced, meaningful community participation will remain a central element of a modern, democratic and plan-led system that seeks to deliver sustainable development and an improved quality of life for communities across Ireland. I note the points Deputy O'Rourke has raised.”
“I thank Deputy O'Rourke again for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy James Browne. In addition to the need to make provision for recreational facilities within statutory development plans, such facilities may also be funded by development contribution schemes, determined by elected members of each planning authority under section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Conditions attached to permissions requiring contributions to be made towards such schemes may include open spaces and recreational and community facilities. The Planning and Development Act 2024 recognises that recreational facilities are best supported through meaningful public participation in local development planning and decision-making.”
“In accordance with section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001, local authorities are independent in the performance of their functions.”
“The Deputy may be interested to note that Sport Ireland is a prescribed body for the purposes of plan-making in accordance with the Planning and Development (Prescribed Persons - Statutory Plans) Regulations 2025, SI 458 of 2025. The Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, is carrying out initial research into sporting facilities and the planning system. As part of this, it is liaising with Sport Ireland and other sporting bodies to examine how local authorities can more effectively plan for the provision of sports and recreational facilities for their communities. With regard to the delivery of such facilities, responsibility for Government policy on sport and the funding and function of Sport Ireland lies with my colleague, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport.”
“Policy and objective 5.1 of these guidelines states that statutory development plans should include an objective relating to the provision of public open space in new residential developments and in mixed-use developments that include a residential element. The requirement in the development plan shall be for public open space provision of not less than a minimum of 10% of net site area and not more than 15% of net site area, save in exceptional circumstances. Different minimum requirements within the 10% to 15% range may be set for different areas. The guidelines state that public open spaces should be designed to cater for a range of active and passive recreational needs, including play, physical activity, active travel, cultural uses and community gardens and allotments, as appropriate to the context.”
“In the case of larger settlements, the residents of less central neighbourhoods should have the opportunity to travel by public transport, and other sustainable modes such as greenways, to access higher order services and amenities at more central and accessible locations. Section 7.3 of these guidelines sets out that every development plan should include an objective for a community, social and cultural infrastructure audit for areas that are likely to experience significant new development and should have a clear evidence-based rationale for future requirements in order to maximise the social return and community benefit generated by public investment by State agencies and others.”
“While the making of a development plan is a reserved function of the elected members of each local authority under the Act, the development plan guidelines for planning authorities of 2022 set out that when making zoning decisions, consideration must be given to the future availability of, or the capacity to provide, supporting local community and amenity services and infrastructure, including recreation and sports facilities. The sustainable residential development and compact settlements guidelines of 2024 indicate that planning authorities should plan for an integrated network of well-designed neighbourhoods that can meet day-to-day needs, including sporting needs, within a ten- to 15-minute walk of all homes.”
“I take this opportunity to thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this important matter and providing me with an opportunity to update the House. I am taking this Topical Issue on behalf of Deputy James Browne, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Under the Planning and Development Act 2024 local authorities are obliged to prepare and adopt development plans that may make provision for the delivery of recreational facilities and amenities.”
“It will have representation across all disciplines with a focus on AHSS. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, looks forward to working with the agency on realising the ambitions of the new agency strategy for all disciplines, including AHSS, in the coming years. Deputy Cummins has raised particular points in respect of PhD students. It is obviously an area she is familiar with, having been one herself. These are matters that will be brought to the attention of the Department and the Minister.”
“I thank Deputy Cummins for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Lawless. He will ensure her contribution will form part of the ongoing consultation. New opportunities are being created for AHSS through the Research Ireland strategy, supported by additional Government investment to deliver the strategy, including the development of the development of larger-scale initiatives. New opportunities have arisen for researchers through the newly established Global Talent Ireland and other strategic initiatives, such as the INSPIRE programme, to support infrastructure and the investigators programme. The strategy commits Research Ireland to ongoing consultation and stakeholder partnership, including establishing a formal advisory council which will be predominantly comprised of academics.”
“Other calls funded or managed by the agency now available to AHSS researchers include: public service fellowships; challenge funding, which is open to all disciplines; and international calls, such as the Research Ireland-UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council joint call on creative industries. The agency has prioritised growing investigator-led funding in planning, recognising the increasing demand for investigator-led research funding. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, is aware of these issues, and he met with representatives of the signatories earlier this week to examine the concerns raised. This has been a constructive and positive ongoing engagement, with insight from the research community informing the design of the new programme.”
“Since February 2026, Research Ireland has conducted more than 20 engagement sessions, including seven in-person AHSS-focused events across the country and two national webinars attended by more than 700 participants. The senior leadership from the agency have met with research leaders and researchers across the country, and with the representative bodies. The proposed new model would bring the agency funding model for these awards closer to international best practice. The agency funding portfolio is split almost evenly, and it is intended to maintain this balance across the programme plan and agency funding portfolio.”
“A key action of the strategy is to review existing PhD funding programmes and develop an enhanced suite of programmes, with the ambition to make Ireland the leading location in Europe for PhD training, in partnership with the HEIs and the wider system. The agency is currently undertaking consultation on a proposed strategic institutional funding model, as an evolution of the Government of Ireland programme, which is intended to: reduce the administrative burden for students; provide more security and stability of funding across a course of research or study; address issues in relation to researchers accessing funding for materials or consumables, travel and networking funding; address maternity, paternity and adoptive leave supplements; and enhance long-term planning and institutional capability.”
“Basic, fundamental research is also firmly recognised and supported within Research Ireland’s strategy. It has been a consistent goal of this Government to support fundamental and frontier research at all times, and this is set out strongly. There has been substantial consultation across the research system in developing the new strategy, and there is ongoing consultation on implementation. The agency has a remit to be more than a funder, and to also work in partnership across a more cohesive system with researchers, institutions and representative bodies to ensure that the strategy delivers for all disciplines. This work is ongoing. The agency also has a role in supporting higher education institutions in developing research and innovation strategies of their own.”
“The strategy safeguards AHSS funding through a guaranteed minimum floor, which will ensure continuity of funding for AHSS at or above existing levels. No cuts are proposed to funding or to the number of places being funded by the agency. The dedicated society impact theme commits to investment in strengthening capacity across the breadth of disciplines and enabling interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to bring together diverse perspectives, expertise and cross-government support to tackle key societal challenges. The agency will be working to strengthen engagement and collaboration with wider research users and performers, such as not-for-profit organisations and charities, and the arts and culture sector, to drive and showcase greater benefit to society.”
“I thank Deputy Cummins for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy James Lawless. I welcome the opportunity to update colleagues on how the arts, humanities, and social sciences will be supported through the Research Ireland strategy and the progress on implementation to date. Research Ireland was established as the national research and innovation funding agency to promote and continue developing excellence in research across all disciplines, including arts, humanities and social sciences, AHSS. The new agency strategy was published in March of this year. The strategy names AHSS as a distinctive national strength, with a role across all three impact themes: talent, society and the economy.”
“Once again, I thank the Deputy for his contribution. A body of work is under way, as I stated, following on from defined actions under housing for older people section of Delivering Homes, Building Communities. We have committed to a review of the operation of the existing local authority financial contribution schemes and to have it as a real, evidence-based, substantive body of work. We commissioned the Housing Agency to look at it in great depth. As the Deputy said, some local authorities have been operating such a scheme, some have not and we want to look at it in the round. When we receive that research from the Housing Agency, we will consider it in depth in the Department. There is a reason it is in the new housing plan. It is because we want to look at it.”
“I thank the Deputy for his considered response. It is a matter he has raised and is committed to. The measure is in the programme for Government. It is a specific action under delivering housing for older people. I committed to doing work on that even prior to the action plan being finalised. A review is currently under way by the Housing Agency on behalf of the Department of the financial contribution schemes operated by local authorities. It will interact with local authorities and, once the review has been completed, the policy response will be developed in response to the findings identified in the research. I want to do it on a structured basis. I note the points the Deputy raised. It is a priority in the older persons section of Delivering Homes, Building Communities to look at the issue the Deputy raised.”
“In simple terms, if older people wish to move to a smaller, more suitable home of their choice and it becomes available prior to their home being sold, they will be able to apply to the banks for bridging finance and the issue of the loan to income ratio will not be a factor. It will be based on the asset and they will get the loan for up to 18 months, to allow them to move, if they wish to do so, on a voluntary basis. From 2020 to 2025, the Department has provided almost €180 million of capital assistance scheme, CAS, funding for older people's housing, delivering a total of 592 units for older people, providing purpose designed, age-friendly homes. I look forward to Deputy Brabazon's response.”
“As part of the work being progressed, I am pleased to welcome the recent positive announcement by the Central Bank that it is amending the mortgage measures to exempt certain types of bridging loans from the loan-to-income limit that applies to lending for principal home purchases. This will assist in supporting voluntary right-sizing where older people choose to purchase a new home prior to concluding the sale of their existing home. I specifically met the Central Bank on a number of occasions with Department officials to ask it to look at this issue. It came back with this and I hope it will assist.”
“It will engage with the local authorities and come back to the Department with a report on this issue of financial contribution schemes. Delivering Homes, Building Communities will also increase choice for older people who voluntarily right-size by advancing the availability of bridging finance to support right-sizing. As I already mentioned, this includes a review of the operation of existing local authority financial contribution schemes and supporting social housing tenants who wish to voluntarily right-size to more suitable accommodation. The Department is already progressing these actions to support older people who choose to voluntarily right-size, ensuring choice for older people seeking to move to more suitable accommodation or to right-size in place.”
“In line with a commitment in the Delivering Homes, Building Communities, my Department is undertaking a review of the operation of existing local authority financial contribution schemes. Policy responses will be developed on foot of the findings of this review, which is currently under way. The work under way at the moment is with the Housing Agency to advance a review of the financial contribution schemes operated by some local authorities. As part of the Delivering Homes, Building Communities plan, which follows on from a commitment in the programme for Government, we have a specific action, that is, to review the operation of existing local authority financial contribution schemes. To advance that work, we have commissioned a body of work from the Housing Agency, which will specifically look at it.”
“Delivering Homes, Building Communities includes measures which will increase delivery of housing for older people through increased delivery of social housing, increased delivery of more suitable homes, choice in private housing and increased choice to support voluntary rightsizing. Government is committed to increasing housing available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence, and to supporting rightsizing on a voluntary basis. Delivering Homes, Building Communities also includes a commitment to develop an action plan on delivering housing for older people and this plan is currently under preparation. A number of local authorities are operating financial contribution schemes. However, these are non-statutory and there is no national scheme in place.”
“I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 99 together. I thank the Deputy for bringing up this important issue. I do not know if Deputy Boland is here. The Government's new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, aims to deliver 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable housing supports by the end of 2030. To achieve this, the largest ever housing budget in the history of the State has been secured in 2026, with in excess of €9 billion in capital funding through the Exchequer, the Land Development Agency and the Housing Finance Agency.”
“It is hugely important that people remain independent. This home support providers Bill is a first step in that direction and I thank all Senators for their great work. I look forward to continue working with them on a range of matters, with the development and design of a statutory home care scheme as a key focus.”
“I thank everyone for their contributions. This is significant legislation. It is a landmark Bill in that for the first time ever we will be regulating home care providers. That will give added confidence to the people who use the service, who are the most important people of all, about the high quality of the service. I acknowledge all the work done by home support workers and providers and by the people who are doing it for family without being paid. They do phenomenal work. This legislation has now gone through both Houses of the Oireachtas and will go to the President to be signed. It is an integral part of, and the first step in, the commitment in the programme for Government to design a statutory home care scheme to allow people to stay in their own home for as long as possible, if they wish.”
“This legislation deals with regulation. The issue of how home support is commissioned by the HSE is something we are going to look at in greater depth as part of our design of a statutory home care scheme. We give that commitment. It is not even a commitment but something we are going to do. There is that pilot project for personalised budgets for people with disabilities and an evaluation run by the National Disability Authority. That is due to conclude shortly and we await the outcome of that review. I hope that brings clarity to the points the Senator raises.”
“It is something that is personal to him and he understands it well. A personalised budget demonstrator pilot was established in 2019 on a cost-neutral basis. In May 2025, the demonstrator pilot commenced its evaluation phase, which is expected to conclude shortly. It is being led by the National Disability Authority. The evaluation will provide insights into the barriers and facilitators to rolling out personalised budgets on a large scale. It will, therefore, inform next steps. There are, therefore, personalised budgets within the disability sector. Under the pilot scheme people with disabilities can get a budget and determine the person they want to engage to do that service for them. To clarify the point, the Bill here just deals with the regulation specifically. I wanted to look at this and to be totally without any form of ambiguity.”
“The outcome of this work will inform future policy and legislative considerations for disability services. The home support authorisation scheme is how the HSE commissions tendered home support from approved providers. The scheme opens periodically to allow prospective new providers to apply to become approved. The scheme requires providers to meet certain criteria. This legislation seeks to introduce regulations for home support services. Matters relating to HSE-commissioned home support services are to be further evaluated during the design of the statutory home support scheme. It is committed to in the programme for Government. We are going to look at that in depth. The Senator raised a specific point about personalised budgets. I have no doubt that the Senator has a greater knowledge than I of this area.”
“These arrangements allow the service user to direct the way in which their services are provided, which upholds the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD. This exemption is further supported by 69B(2)(c), which exempts providers who have service arrangements with the HSE to deliver personal assistance services. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is progressing a broader programme of work to develop a vision and strategy of specialist disability services for 2030 that will include considerations, particularly around governance arrangements, across the disability sector more broadly. That Department is also advancing the development of a policy framework on supports for community living, which will include consideration on the role of the personal assistant.”
“The exclusion was carefully considered in order to ensure that the regulatory burden placed on providers was proportionate to the size of the service being provided. These small services are typically single operators working on a one-to-one basis with service users. As I said on Second Stage of this Bill, I was in Wales for St. Patrick’s Day and took the opportunity to meet its minister with responsibility for this area. In Wales, the regulation is four persons or fewer. In our case, it is fewer than four persons. The exemption also seeks to exempt personal assistance services where service users directly engage with a personal assistant.”
“The Senator’s amendment has been ruled out of order but I will speak to the section and the particular points he raised. I looked at this in great depth because I wanted to cover everything. I will read out the note and then I will cover a number of points thereafter. I thank Senator Clonan for raising this matter. All exemptions included in the Bill have been carefully considered to ensure that there is no adverse impact on services that are not intended to be captured under the current regulatory framework. In relation to the matter the Senator raised, section 69B(2)(a) provides that where a person provides a home support service to fewer than four people, they are exempt from the requirement to register. That is in the Bill.”
“This important task is being undertaken within this framework. The Government has delivered the SWAG report, which examined the relevant issues of healthcare assistants, and is working to deliver on its recommendations statutorily. By means of our upcoming survey of healthcare assistants and the regulations to be made on foot of this Bill being enacted, we will collate the data that we need to develop effective policy responses. I accept the point the Senator is making in the amendment. For the reasons I have outlined, however, I will not be accepting it.”
“The results of this survey will be combined with the lessons from the implementation of the SWAG report to help us to identify our next priority for workforce development. It is important to highlight that much of the data that Senator Tully and Sinn Féin would like us to report on is not currently available or easily accessed, particularly in circumstances where service providers are not State-funded, which is estimated to be about a quarter of those entities that provide home support nationally. That figure comes from a recent ESRI study. The information provisions set out in this Bill will provide HIQA with the power to collate and report on data of this type in order to inform national policy and planning. The relevant regulations must be made by the Minister before they can commence.”
“Ensuring that we can attract and retain workers in this sector is therefore a matter of high priority for Government. In 2022, SWAG, a multi-agency group to which Senator Boyhan referred earlier, was set up to examine issues relating to the recruitment and retention of healthcare assistants. The group produced a support containing 16 recommendations, many of which have already been delivered. The Department of Health is continuing to work with the HSE and other stakeholders and Departments to deliver on the remaining recommendations. I will shortly be launching a national survey of healthcare assistants that will provide us with important information on their healthcare conditions. The purpose of this survey is to allow healthcare assistants to outline their views.”
“The mental aspect is often overlooked, but in the context of being in command of their lives and circumstances, whether they are young or old, I do not think people really change. We continue to deliver on our Sláintecare commitments to increase the availability of care in the home and the community. We spoke about statutory home care. The latter goes back to Sláintecare, which is a cross-party policy. We brought a statutory home care scheme into the programme for Government, which I have been charged to work on. It is a process. As people are living longer, there is an inevitable increase in demand for home support. We should welcome the fact that people are living longer, but this brings challenges. There is no point in saying otherwise.”
“I acknowledge the issue that Senator Tully, on behalf of Sinn Féin, has raised in the context of the amendment. This is an important issue that the Government is actively addressing. The delivery of high-quality home support is dependent on the efforts of people who work in the sector. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the great work that has been done by home care workers who provide support and assistance to people of every age who have a wide range of medical, conditions, abilities and needs and who are living at home. I agree with Senator Tully that independence is a huge factor in people being able to remain at home, both physical and mental independence.”
“We have a pathway, which includes the home support providers Bill and adult safeguarding legislation in the health and social care sector. There will then be the roll-out of the regulation. We will then move into the whole area of statutory home care itself. It is about ensuring that we have that momentum. The day-to-day activity is about people availing of home support hours. That is, and continues to be, an absolute priority for me and the Government.”
“I thank the Senator for his contribution and collaborative approach. Home support hours are a key priority for me and the Government. I want to bring the numbers down. They are coming down, but not at the rate I would like. The key element here is that we need to recruit more staff within the HSE. As I said, another 257 are funded and that work is under way. I have regular meetings with the HSE, along with my officials, specifically around delivering home support. Some areas of the country are different from others. There is no homogeneous outline. Above anything else, home support will, dare I say it, be a key element of the statutory home care scheme and its operation. We have to increase the number of people in the area. It is a considerable body of work. The Senator made reference to the word "pathway".”
“The Senator is correct that we are hoping a general scheme for adult safeguarding legislation for the health and social care sector will go to Cabinet before the end of the year. We are working intensively on that. We will seek the Seanad's assistance, and the legislation will be enacted once the President has signed it. There will then be a lead-in period. There will be a year for HIQA to get ready for the legislation. Within a two-year period thereafter, HIQA will have a full register of home support providers up and running. After that period, home support providers will not be able to operate without being on the register.”
“That is the first step in statutory home care. More particularly, it will regulate the sector. Adult safeguarding legislation is being prepared. That will underpin what is in the framework on adult safeguarding. It will be in line with what is currently there for children, through the Children First Act. We expect that the general scheme of the legislation will go to the Cabinet before the end of the year, which will link in with the 12-month timeframe to which the Senator referred. I accept what the Senator has put forward and the spirit in which he is putting forward. However, we are progressing in that space in a structured manner. For that reason, I will not be accepting this amendment. I take on board the sentiments the Senator expressed with his usual eloquence.”
“If I am correct, that would summarise the position, and I accept that. On home support hours, I am working with the HSE. We have seen a decrease, albeit not a huge one. The numbers are not going up. It is very simple. We have given additional funding to the HSE to recruit 257 additional home support workers. That is the key to bringing down the home support waiting list. We want to see the HSE recruiting for vacant posts. It is a matter on which I am actively working with the HSE. The Senator made reference to decision-making. We obviously have the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act and the decision support services. It is very difficult for older people who may have myriad issues. They have to feel that one thing is safe. That is why we are looking for joined-up thinking. We are bringing through the home support Bill.”
“The HSE’s chief social worker is leading the development of the implementation plan, which will come to the Department. I will go back to the central point the Senator raised, which was elder abuse. Any form of abuse is unacceptable. Elder abuse can happen in any environment. In the policy framework we published last December, we have covered all aspects except for self-harm. That is not included. It is a specific, separate body of work that the HSE is undertaking. Everything else, including coercion, financial, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, or any other form of abuse, is covered in that space. I take the Senator's point. I would never put words in his mouth, but the word he was looking for may have been "instinct". If you have an instinct about something happening, you roll with it.”
“The policy framework itself includes legislative and non-legislative commitments that will significantly expand the existing supports and protections for adults at risk of harm across the social care sector. In terms of structures, the HSE will be responsible, but the delivery of adult safeguarding will operate independently of the operational side of the HSE. This is something I am strong on, and we will be incorporating it into the legislation. HIQA will have the remit in terms of independent oversight and monitoring of adult safeguarding. Furthermore, in the context of the home support Bill, there will be equally independent oversight as well. We held a stakeholder forum very recently, on 3 June, to discuss and engage on the implementation of the policy framework.”
“It is the first of its type in this area. Once again, it is something I worked on intensively with the officials. In addition, the Government has approved the development of legislation to underpin the framework. At the moment, the Department is working on a general scheme of a safeguarding Bill. We hope to bring that to the Cabinet before the end of the year. I think that will dovetail into the Senator’s 12-month period. In the time the Senator is talking about, we expect to publish the general scheme of a Bill on adult safeguarding in the health and social care sector, which will come into line with the existing safeguarding legislation and policy for children as set out in the Children First Act 2015.”
“This means that there would be a specific requirement under the Act itself, and in the context of this Bill, that home support providers would have to maintain policies on a number of areas, including safeguarding. The Senator raised two elements in this context: adult safeguarding and safeguarding for children. In terms of adult safeguarding, the Senator will probably be aware that under the Children First Act 2015, safeguarding policies are already in place for children. The relevant agency here is Tusla. In terms of adult safeguarding, the situation that obtained when I came into this role was that there was a commitment in the programme for Government to publish a national policy on adult safeguarding for the health and social care sector. We published that policy last December and the Government approved a policy framework.”
“I thank the Acting Chair very much. I thank Senator Boyhan for a very comprehensive overview of safeguarding. I would like to address this matter in the context of the points the Senator raised. There were a number of things. I have a briefing note, which I will go through, but I will give some structure in terms of an outline. Within the Bill itself, section 21 amends section 101 of the principal Act. I am referring specifically to the insertion of a new section 101(4)(f): the policies to be maintained by a registered home support provider to ensure the safety and quality of the services provided by the provider, including in relation to safeguarding, medication support, infection prevention and control, risk management and quality assurance ...”
“The Bill was published in December of last year and passed by the Dáil on 20 May. It went through Second Stage in the Seanad on 16 June. I thank all the Seanadóirí for the constructive debate on the Bill on Second Stage. The context is that, as well as regulating home support providers for the first time, the Bill is a key, integral first step in the development of a statutory home care scheme that has been provided for in the programme for Government. I look forward to a constructive debate with Members on the proposed amendments to the Bill and am looking to progress the legislation. I thank the Acting Chair for his indulgence. I am here with officials. I acknowledge the great work they have done. It is an indication of the seriousness with which we take this legislation and how important it is.”
“I thank the Acting Chair and the House for their time today to discuss this Bill. We had a constructive discussion in the Seanad on Second Stage. This Bill is an amendment to the Health Act 2007. As I said previously, for the first time, the Bill will introduce regulation of home support providers, who will be regulated by HIQA and the chief inspector. The Bill will give the chief inspector a range of powers and will make it an offence to provide a home support service without being registered. The chief inspector will be responsible for monitoring and assessing compliance of registered home support providers. 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 will bring Ireland in line with best international practice.”