The mission of the Economic and Social Research Institute is to advance evidencebased policymaking that supports economic sustainability and social progress in Ireland. ESRI researchers apply the highest standards of academic excellence to challenges facing policymakers, focusing on 12 areas of critical importance to 21st Century Ireland.The Institute was founded in 1960 by a group of senior civil servants led by Dr T. K. Whitaker, who identified the need for independent and in-depth research analysis to provide a robust evidence base for policymaking in Ireland.Since then, the Institute has remained committed to independent research and its work is free of any expressed ideology or political position. The Institute publishes all research reaching the appropriate academic standard, irrespective of its findings or who funds the research.The quality of its research output is guaranteed by a rigorous peer review process. ESRI researchers are experts in their fields and are committed to producing work that meets the highest academic standards and practices.The work of the Institute is disseminated widely in books, journal articles and reports. ESRI publications are available to download, free of charge, from its website. Additionally, ESRI staff communicate research findings at regular conferences and seminars.The ESRI is a company limited by guarantee, answerable to its members and governed by a Council, comprising 14 members who represent a cross-section of ESRI members from academia, civil services, state agencies, businesses and civil society. The Institute receives an annual grant-in-aid from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to support the scientific and public interest elements of the Institute's activities; the grant accounted for an average of 30 per cent of the Institute's income over the lifetime of the last Research Strategy. The remaining funding comes from research programmes supported by government departments and agencies, public bodies and competitive research programmes.

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A new statutory scheme for the provision of home support services is currently being developed by the Department of Health. Research has shown that access to home support services varies across the country. The new scheme aims to tackle this issue to ensure equitable access to home support services nationwide and is part of wider reform of Ireland’s health and social care systems as envisaged in the Sláintecare report and Department of Health action plans. Publicly funded home support services in Ireland are currently provided free of charge for recipients, unlike long-term residential or nursing home care, which involves a contribution from residents. In 2019, the HSE’s Older Persons’ Services provided care to 53,000 people at a cost of €440 million. It is anticipated that demand for home support services may increase under the new scheme, for example if unmet demand is met or if the new scheme results in more people being able to remain in their own home, substituting away from long-term residential care. Any increased demand would result in an increased cost, which may also rise as the population ages. This report examines the possible introduction of co-payments for home support services. We focus on the likely Exchequer impact of a range of different funding scenarios along with the distributional, poverty and inequality impacts of such charges. Due to data limitations, and the fact that the majority of home support services are provided to older age groups, we focus on those aged 65 years and over. Regarding co-payments we examine the impact of flat-rate charges for users, regardless of means, as well as co-payments for home support recipients above a variety of income levels. The tapering of payments is also examined to ensure that individuals just over a specific income threshold would see co-payments gradually increasing as their income rises. We also consider the capping of co-payments so that those needing a high number of home support hours would not potentially face very high costs.

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