Martin Daly
Question:598. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Health the key improvements delivered in older people’s services in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71239/25]
View answerThursday, 11 December 2025
Questions (598)
Written answers
The investment in Older Persons services under the budget for 2025 increased to approximately 3 billion euro which represented a significant funding increase for older persons Residential and community services with the Fair Deal scheme and home support services receiving significant funding for the year.
The Fair Deal scheme has seen its budget increase from €968 million in 2019 to €1.221 billion in 2025. Additionally, in 2025, €10 million of additional support for private and voluntary nursing homes was made available to eligible nursing homes under the new Nursing Home Residential Premises Upgrade (RPU) Scheme. This scheme supported nursing homes to upgrade their premises, and to improve compliance with standards published by HIQA under Regulation 17 (Premises). Each qualifying nursing home could claim up to €25,000 for eligible works carried out under the Scheme between 1 January 2024 and 14 November 2025 (Scheme closing date).
There was Circa €840 million allocated to home support services for the year 2025, an increase of over €120 million on the previous year. This funding has supported the delivery of over 21 million home support hours to the end of October 2025. This amounts to over 1.4 million more hours (+7.4%) than delivered in the same period last year.
On the 9th December 2025 Cabinet approved the publication of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 with a view to progressing to the Oireachtas early in the new year.
The Bill will introduce, for the first time, the registration and regulation by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Chief Inspector of Social Services of all home support providers in Ireland.
The new system of regulation for home support will ensure that the public can be confident that the services provided are of a high standard and will bring Ireland in line with best international practice.
Regarding Community based services, the funding for Meals on Wheels services has increased from €3.5 million in 2022 to €6.25 million for 2025, representing an increase of approximately of 80%. I am pleased to report that a further increase in funding for Meals on Wheels services was announced in the Budget in October, providing an additional €2 million to increase services in 2026.
Additionally for 2025, The Department has progressed a number key Programme for Government commitments with the National Policy Framework for Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care Sector being approved by Government and published on the 9th of December 2025. This is the first policy of its kind in Ireland.
The policy framework will extend across all public, private and voluntary health and social care services. A range of both legislative and non-legislative measures are included to significantly expand and strengthen existing supports and protections for adults at risk of harm across the health and social care sector. Implementation structures as set out in the policy will now be established and the Chief Social Worker in the HSE will lead the development of an implementation plan within 6 months.
The Government has also approved the development of legislation to underpin the commitments within the policy framework. The Department of Health is progressing the drafting of a General Scheme of a Safeguarding Bill to support implementation of this policy.
Another key area of work which has been advanced within the Department of Health for 2025 is in relation to the Commission on Care for Older People. The independent Commission on Care for Older People was established in March 2024, fulfilling the commitment in the Programme for Government (2020).
The Commission, which is chaired by Professor Alan Barrett (ESRI) and comprised of independent experts, is charged with examining the provision of health and social care services and supports for older people and with making recommendations to the Government for their strategic development. Subsequently a cross-departmental group will be established under the auspices of the Commission to consider whether the supports for positive ageing across the life-course are fit-for-purpose and to develop a costed implementation plan for options to optimise these supports.
The work of the Commission is being advanced through three modules which will run consecutively. Module 1 is on the effectiveness, adequacy and efficiency of the care and supports which are currently provided within the health and social care system for older people. It is expected that the Module 1 report will be published in Quarter 1 2026.
Detailed information on the Commission’s work is available on the Government of Ireland’s website at: http://www.gov.ie/commissiononcare.
The Department of Health and HSE work continuously across a number of divisions to progress government legislation and policy workstreams to promote and develop beneficial services for the entire population of Ireland.