Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 8

Adjournment Debate. - People with Physical Disabilities.

Miss de Valera

The Minister will agree it is essential to give those with physical disabilities every assistance so that they can fulfil their full potential. The much awaited report from the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities refers in detail to the need to ensure equality for the disabled.

The Disabled People of Clare have highlighted the needs of the centres for independent living and the group is pressing for the independent living fund to be declared a civil right for people with disabilities, as is the case with their counterparts in Sweden. Many different regimes exist to help the disabled live an independent life and Germany, the United States, Denmark, France and Britain have taken a particular interest in this. Ireland could use and perfect these models to improve our schemes. The Centre for Independent Living wants a budget commitment for an independent living fund. Some people with disabilities may need up to three personal assistants. This can mean that a substantial number of people could be taken off the dole while at the same time granting the disabled the much needed practical help that would make such a difference to their lives and society generally.

The hours of work of a personal assistant can be long, and there is little incentive to take up such a position when a similar amount can be got on unemployment assistance. There is, however, much need for the provision of personal assistants, and I hope the Minister will give some practical response to the House this evening.

At present there is no health board training scheme for personal assistants. A system of minimal training should be provided and financed. A strategy for rolling back dependency must be implemented in the Mid-Western Health Board area. All the other health boards have a personal assistance programme in place, but the Mid-Western Health Board seems to be left behind in this regard. I would be very grateful if the Minister would elaborate on this point. There should be a co-ordinated approach to people with disabilities combining the Departments of Health, Social Welfare, Environment and Transport and Communications. Will the Minister undertake to initiate funding in the forthcoming budget for the personal assistance programme so that the Centre for Independent Living and all its branches throughout the country can begin to plan in the long-term for the future of those it represents.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Currie)

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter.

The provision of a personal assistance service was first made here through INCARE, a two-year Horizon funded action research programme run by the Centre for Independent Living. When INCARE ended in December 1994, the Minister for Health agreed to fund the continuation of this service, on a pilot basis, to the existing participants pending an examination by an advisory group of the whole question of future provision of personal assistance services. In the past two years, other personal assistance services have been established and funded through a number of different schemes such as FÁS community employment schemes and Horizon backed programmes.

It is clear that the provision of personal assistance services needs to be formalised. An advisory group was established following completion of the INCARE programme to report to the Minister for Health on future policy of providing and developing a personal assistance service to enable persons with physical disabilities to live independently. The advisory group agreed that the independent living model can offer a higher degree of social gain to individuals than the residential model. However, it pointed to the high cost of providing this service and the equity of providing a high "total independence" service for a relatively small number of people against the benefits of providing other less costly supports to a far greater number of people with disabilities.

The personal assistance service is one element of a much broader range of services required by people with disabilities. These include home support services, day care, respite care, residential care, various forms of therapy, technical aids, income support, vocational training, employment support and funding of voluntary agencies which provide services. The development and funding of a personal assistance service must, therefore, be considered in the context of the development of support services generally for people with disabilities.

Accordingly, the provision of personal assistance services is being addressed by the Review Group on Services for People with a Physical and Sensory Disability as part of a review of the broader service needs of people with physical disabilities. The review group's report is being finalised. Following consideration of its recommendations and those of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, the Minister will make a decision about the personal assistant scheme as part of the overall decision on the appropriate development of support services for people with disabilities.