3806. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health the number of people living with dementia currently in receipt of HSE-funded home support hours; whether an assessment has been carried out of the unmet demand for dementia-specific home care supports; and the measures being considered in Budget 2027 to increase access to home support hours for people with dementia. [63039/26]

Investment in older persons services is a fundamental priority for the Government. Over €914 million euro has been allocated for home support in 2026 and the target for home support hours has grown from 24 million hours in 2025 to 26.7 million hours for 2026, an 11% increase. The HSE's 2026 National Service Plan commits to allocating a minimum of 22% of all new home support hours to people with dementia or cognitive impairment.

In line with Programme for Government commitments to increase home support hours, including for people with dementia, measures will be considered in Budget 2027 to meet increased demand due to demographic changes and to support people to remain living independently at home. The request by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland in its 2027 pre-budget submission for additional home support hours for people with dementia will be considered in this context.

The specific queries regarding the number of people living with dementia currently in receipt of HSE-funded home support hours and the level of unmet demand for dementia-specific home supports are service-related matters and I have therefore asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy on these as soon as possible.