Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Question:158 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the number of personal assistants employed in the country by people with physical disabilities. [1209/97]
Written Answers. - Physical Handicap Services.
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Question:159 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health when he intends to set up an independent living fund to enable people with disabilities to employ personal assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1210/97]
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Question:160 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health when he intends to commence the funding of all personal assistance services for people with physical disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1211/97]
Róisín Shortall
Question:170 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to implement Towards an Independent Future; and the funding he has secured in order to do so. [1425/97]
Michael Ahern
Question:198 Mr. M. Ahern asked the Minister for Health if he has acquired the necessary resources to implement the report of the Review Group on Health and Personal Social Services for people with physical and sensory disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1806/97]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 159, 160, 170 and 198 together.
The report of the Review Group on Health and Personal Social Services for People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities,Towards an Independent Future, was published at the end of last year. The report highlights the need to develop a comprehensive range of flexible community services to meet the needs of people with disabilities, their family and carers. Recommendations include proposals for the development of day services, residential places, respite places and nursingparamedical-therapy services as well as the development of personal assistance services. The report recognises the important role played by voluntary organisations in providing services and proposes new structures at health board level to enhance the co-ordination and planning of service delivery between the statutory and voluntary sectors. It also recommends the establishment of a database on the health service needs of people with physical and sensory disabilities to provide a firm basis for planning services.
The report has now been circulated to health boards and officials from my Department are in discussion with them regarding the process of implementing the report. The report will also be considered, in conjunction with the health recommendations of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, by the inter-departmental task force and monitoring committee approved by the Government recently.
The report makes recommendations about the development of personal assistance services. My Department currently funds a personal assistance service for people who participated in the Centre for Independent Living Horizon Pilot Project, INCARE and through which 43 people are currently employed as personal assistants. I am aware that the Centre for Independent Living is involved in the organisation of personal assistance services through the FAS community employment scheme in a number of locations around the country.
The report recommends that funding deficits for existing services be addressed in the first instance and identifies priority service developments including the personal assistance service. Additional funding will be provided in 1997 to help put the services on a more secure financial footing and to enable other priority services to be developed.