Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 6 Jun 1996

Vol. 466 No. 5

Written Answers. - Independent Living Fund.

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

15 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to provide finance for an independent living fund for people with disabilities, as recommended in the report of the Advisory Group on Personal Assistance for People with Significant Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11628/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The establishment of an independent living fund is being proposed by the Centre for Independent Living as a means of financing the provision of a personal assistance service. As the Deputy is aware, following the completion in December 1994 of the Centre for Independent Living's two-year action research programme, INCARE, into personal assistance services, I ordered the establishment of an Advisory Group to Personal Assistance Services to examine the whole question of personal assistance services.

This group explored the option of establishing an independent living fund funded through the Departments of Social Welfare, Education and Health but considered that this would be too cumbersome to administer. As an alternative, it recommended that funding be provided through my Department in the short term except where personal assistance is required for third level education. In the long term, the group considered that the issue was mainly one of income support and it recommended that funding should be the responsibility of the Department of Social Welfare. The group was also aware that the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities is examining the issue of income support in detail.

Finally, the group recommended that funding of a PA service should be considered in the context of the development of support services generally for people with disabilities. This issue is being addressed by the Review Group on Services for People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities whose report is expected within the next few weeks.