Written Answers. - Sheltered Employment.
Mary Wallace
Question:
86
Miss M. Wallace
asked the
Minister for Health
the amount of extra resources which will be available to support sheltered work places for people with learning disabilities in 1997; the number of additional places which will be created; and the resources to be allocated to address the current funding crisis affecting many existing sheltered work enterprises.
[2596/97]
As the Deputy is aware, additional funding has been provided in recent years for both new and existing services. An additional £12 million in revenue funding is being provided in 1997 for services to persons with a mental handicap; £2 million is being used to meet identified needs in existing services and the remaining £10 million made available in the budget will be used to provide a range of additional services including sheltered work places. Details of the services to be provided will be announced shortly.
Mary Wallace
Question:
87
Miss M. Wallace
asked the
Minister for Health
the number of additional sheltered work places for people with physical disabilities which will be created in 1997; and the per-capita allocation to be allowed for each place.
[2597/97]
Mary Wallace
Question:
89
Miss M. Wallace
asked the
Minister for Health
the reason the recommendation of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities for the urgent provision in 1997 of additional funding for existing sheltered work places and the creation of 500 new places has not been met; and if he intends to address this recommendation.
[2599/97]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 89 together.
The report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities was published on 18 November 1996. 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.
In addition to this report, Partnership 2000 contains a commitment for an additional 500 shelterd employment places to be targeted over the period of the partnership. In the course of providing additional places, it is intended through the National Rehabilitation Board (NRB), to pilot new models of sheltered work and to develop minimum standards for all forms of sheltered work. To that end I allocated £500,000 in 1997 for work places for people with physical and sensory disabilities.
Discussions are currently taking place with the NRB about how the new models will operate. At this point it is not possible to identify how many places will be created but it is anticipated that it would be significant. In addition, further places will be made available for persons with a mental handicap as a result of the additional £10 million expenditure which I recently announced. This will be used to put in place additional services, including new day care and workshop services. Further details of additional services to be provided from this funding will be announced shortly.
Capitation payments per person in community workshops are currently at £1,100 per person per annum.
All aspects of sheltered employment are being considered by the national advisory committee on training and employment, established by the NRB due to report in the summer this year as well as the review of training and employment for people with disabilities being undertaken by my Department at present which will report later this year.
