'Alarming' lack of extra money for homecare scheme, advocacy group warns

Age Action senior public affairs and policy specialist Nat O’Connor said a much-needed pay increase for care workers has taken up more of the budget than was previously the case. Picture: Tommy Clancy 

There is an "alarming" lack of extra money for a national homecare scheme in the HSE service plan despite a focus on older people’s care, advocacy group Age Action has warned.

Under Government plans being developed for a statutory scheme, families would be able to draw down funding for homecare in the same way they can do for nursing homes through the Fair Deal scheme. This is yet to come to fruition, however.