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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Oct 1995

Vol. 456 No. 5

Written Answers. - Group on Personal Assistance.

Mary Wallace

Question:

61 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Health when he will publish the report of the Review Group on Personal Assistance; the membership of the review group; the number of meetings held by the review group; his own involvement, if any, in the work of the review group; the date upon which he received the draft report of the review group; whether he intends making any changes in the report of the review group; whether the review group has commissioned any expert studies in the course of preparing its report; whether he will publish any such expert reports that may have been commissioned; and the implementation process he intends to follow following the publication of the report of the review group. [14208/95]

Limerick East): I established the Advisory Group on Personal Assistance Services to report to me on future policy towards providing and developing a personal assistance service to enable people with significant disabilities to live independently. The group, which met six times, was made up of representatives from my Department and Departments of Equality and Law Reform, Social Welfare, Education as well as from FÁS, NRB, Eastern Health Board, Centre for Independent Living, Irish Wheelchair Association, Cheshire Foundation and the Rehabilitation Institute.

The group considered that a cost evaluation should be carried out on personal assistance services compared to cheaper forms of assistance services. A cost evaluation report on personal assistance services was duly commissioned and the first draft is currently being considered in my Department.

I received the report of the Advisory Group during the summer and intend to publish the report as a discussion document. The provision of personal assistance services will need to be discussed and considered in the light of other health service needs of people with physical disabilities recommended by the Review Group on Services for People with Physical Disabilities whose final report will be published later this year.

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