Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 7

Written Answers. - Personal Assistance Service.

Michael Ring

Question:

100 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding made available for the provision of personal assistants to people with disability for each of the years from 1997 to 1999; the plans, if any, he has to increase this funding; and the further plans, if any, he has to establish the scheme for personal assistants on a more permanent footing. [11134/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

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.

It is not possible to isolate the specific amounts allocated by the health boards to personal assist ance services within the generic support services provided in the sector.

However, since coming into office, this Government has provided almost £37 million additional funding to maintain and develop services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. Personal assistance services are funded from the development funding provided for the sector and in 1998, this amounted to £3 million. This year, a further £3 million, rising to £6 million on a full year cost basis in 2000, has been provided for this purpose. The determination of priorities for the expenditure of this funding, including personal assistance services, is a matter for the health boards in consultation with the co-ordinating committees for physical and sensory disability services.