To ask the Minister of Health (i) to outline the challenges in providing domiciliary care within the community in the Western and Northern Health and Social Care Trusts; (ii) how many service users are currently without their (a) full assessed care package; or (b) part of their assessed care package; and (iii) for his assessment of the capacity of care providers in these areas to fully provide services.

You will be aware that on 24 November 2021 I announced a support package of up to £23m for the independent domiciliary and wider social care sector. This additional funding has been provided with the expectation that providers will not only maintain current service levels, but increase capacity and be in a position to reach out particularly into rural areas.

Covid-19 related and non Covid-19 related absences throughout the pandemic have been a challenge for all domiciliary care providers. The demand for domiciliary care has increased as well as the complexity of need of service users. Recently fuel cost increases have put additional pressures on the domiciliary care sector. Providers operate rolling recruitment exercises to fill workforce vacancies.

The table below summaries the current numbers of people who are waiting on a full or part packages of care in the Northern and Western Trust areas.

I will continue to support the domiciliary car sector in their attempts to meet the current demand for packages of care in the community. The local HSC Trusts are promoting Direct Payments as an alternative to traditional packages of care and we would encourage as many people as possible in the community to avail of this option.