Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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609. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the progression and the timeline for the establishment of a Commission on Care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19484/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to supporting healthy and positive ageing as well as to ensuring that older persons can continue to live independently in their homes and communities for as long as possible.

Acknowledging the disproportionately negative impact of the pandemic on older persons, the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future(2020) commits to the establishment of a commission on care that will ‘assess how we care for older people and examine alternatives to meet the diverse needs of our older citizens’, learning the lessons from COVID 19.

In 2022 preliminary desk research was undertaken within the Department of Health in preparation for the establishment of the commission on care. In 2023 the scoping and planning for the commission on care (inclusive of timelines), is being advanced as a priority.

Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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610. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide information on the commencement and funding of the Model of Care for Specialist Mental Health Services for Older People; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19485/23]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.