For many years it has been widely recognised that our health services have failed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Deputies will be familiar with frequent debates in this House on the underfunding of the mental handicap services. The issue I want to raise relates to services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. This area is becoming more critical as the Minister for Health continues to delay taking the necessary action to put in place a blueprint for service development.
The Review Group on Services for Persons with Physical and Sensory Disabilities was established in June 1992 by the then Minister for Health. Drawing its membership from a wide range of relevant bodies, the review group was charged with examining the entire range of health services available to this large group of people with disabilities. From the time of its appointment the review group undertook a comprehensive consultation and research programme to help it develop its recommendations. By May 1994 the review group had completed the major body of its work and only required staffing resources to finalise its report. These resources were in hand in the Department of Health but little attention has been paid to the report for 18 months.
In November 1995 I tabled a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health on this issue. Since then the review group has produced a draft report which was discussed at a consultative seminar in February of this year. The current status of the report is that it is languishing in the Department of Health awaiting the attention it requires to make the changes suggested at the seminar. I have received representations from a number of disability groups who are extremely angry about the ongoing delays and frustrated that all policy development in this area is being put off with the excuse that the review group's report has first to be received.
A number of serious questions must be answered by the Minister and his Department. Why has this vitally important report been delayed for so long? It seems clear that it has been allocated few staffing resources by the Minister. What is the reason for that? Is it because the Minister is not giving the report the priority it clearly deserves or is there a more fundamental issue involved? Is the report being deliberately delayed because the Minister does not want to address the issues it will raise, particularly in relation to funding?
After 18 months the Minister has failed, for whatever reason, to produce a report which was substantially comleted when he took office. There is little doubt that the allocation of sufficient funds by the Minister would ensure the production of the report within a matter of weeks. He should take this opportunity to announce that these resources will be allocated and that the report will be published immediately. There is no excuse for the delay.