Vol. 472 No. 8
65 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the recommendations of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities concerning services for people with brain injuries; and if he will give details of his intended implementation programme for these recommendations. [24201/96]
66 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the recommendations of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities concerning the immediate need for a significant number of day activity facilities throughout the country; and if he will give details of his intended implementation programme for these recommendations. [24202/96]
67 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health if he has considered the recommendations of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities concerning the immediate need for a significant expansion of respite care places; and if he will give details of his implementation programme for these recommendations. [24203/96]
68 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the recommendation of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities for the immediate funding of 500 additional sheltered employment places and the adequate funding of existing places; and if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that failure to implement such a recommendation might be taken as undermining the Government's stated intention to implement the commission's final report. [24204/96]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 66, 67 and 68 together.
The report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities was published on 18 November. The commission's report recommends the development of a wide range of economic and social services for people with disabilities, including health, personal support services and employment for people with disabilities.
The Government decided, on publication of the report, to establish a monitoring committee comprising representatives of Government Departments, the social partners, organisations representing people with disabilities, their families, carers and service providers to monitor the implementation of the commission's recommendations, including the health care and employment recommendations which are the responsibility of my Department. This is subject to the submission to Government, in the first instance, of a programme of measures to be implemented, which will be drawn up by an interdepartmental task force on which my Department will be represented. This task force is due to submit its detailed action plan by 30 June 1997.
