Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 3

Written Answers. - Personal Assistance Service.

Michael Ring

Question:

369 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to put the personal assistant scheme for disabled people on a permanent basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8032/99]

Nora Owen

Question:

389 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health and Children if sufficient funds have been made available to the Eastern Health Board to expand the service of personal assistants to handicapped people in view of the fact that many such handicapped people would have a much better quality of life if they were able to get a personal assistant to be with them; and if a personal assistant will be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin. [8394/99]

The personal assistance service is part of a range of support services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. My policy is to develop the range of services as a whole, having regard to available resources, in accordance with the recommendations of the report of the Review Group on Health and Personal Social Services for People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities, Towards an Independent Future.

Out of a total of £13.4 million provided this year, £3 million revenue, rising to £6 million on a full year cost basis in the year 2000, is for the development of services. From this, the Eastern Health Board was allocated £1.080 million, rising to £2.16 million in the year 2000, for the development of services in its functional area.

Priorities for the allocation of development funding are decided by the health boards in consultation with their co-ordinating committee for physical and sensory disability services. Voluntary sector services agencies and service users are represented on these committees.

The making of arrangements for the provision of personal assistance services in individual cases is a matter for the relevant health board. Accordingly, I have referred Deputy Owen's question to the chief executive officer of the Eastern Health Board with a request that he examine this case as a matter of urgency and reply directly to the Deputy.

Top
Share