Virpi Timonen & Iain McMenamin University of Turku, Finland, Dublin City University

Until recently, the small proportion of older people in the Irish population and low labour-market participation rates among women provided the underpinnings of the informal care model in Ireland. However, changes in family structures, women’s labour market participation and population ageing are making this model less sustainable. A detailed analysis of policy changes and initiatives in the area of care provision shows that while the challenges facing the system are new, most of the solutions provided continue to rely on the model of home-based care.