Louth TD welcomes progress on plans for new Statutory Homecare Scheme

Louth Fine Gael TD Paula Butterly, has welcomed news that proposals for a new Statutory Homecare Scheme are progressing to Cabinet.

Deputy Butterly stated, “People have the right to stay in their homes as long as possible and receive a better quality of life by doing so. Too many are entering nursing homes prematurely because they have no other options.”

In a statement from Deputy Butterly, she said that the Department of Health continues to work on delivering the Government’s commitment to establish a new Statutory Homecare Scheme. This scheme is designed to enable older people and others with care needs to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

She said that as a key Programme for Government commitment, the development of this Scheme reflects the Government’s recognition that home is the preferred care setting for many, and that appropriate supports must be in place to make this possible.

A necessary pre-condition for the statutory scheme is the regulation of home support services. The Department of Health is developing a regulatory framework to ensure all service users receive high-quality care. This framework will apply to all adult home support services, including those in the disability sector.

The framework includes:

• Primary legislation to license home support providers.
• Regulations setting minimum standards for providers.
• HIQA national standards for quality assurance.

The Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill will establish a licensing system under which operating without a license will be an offence. HIQA’s Chief Inspector for Social Services will monitor compliance, ensuring all services meet required standards.

Deputy Butterly said that in her statement that the legislation is at an advanced stage. The General Scheme was approved by Government in May 2024 and published alongside the Regulatory Impact Analysis. Pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Committee for Health was completed in October 2024. The scheme is now with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel for final drafting, ahead of its planned presentation to Cabinet this autumn.

Funding will be a key component of the new Statutory Scheme, according to the Fine Gael TD. Currently, home support services are fully exchequer funded for those assessed by the HSE. The Department is examining sustainable funding models, informed by research from the ESRI and the European Observatory on Health Systems.

The ESRI’s Capacity Review, published in June 2025, includes regional projections up to 2040, which will help inform future service provision. No decisions on future funding options have been made, and further research is ongoing, Deputy Butterly added.

Deputy Butterly concluded, “This is a significant step forward in ensuring older people can remain at home with dignity and quality care. We look forward to seeing these proposals progress and the benefits they will bring to families across the country.”