Vol. 509 No. 1
183 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the measures, if any, taken in relation to a disability payment scheme in line with the requirements set out by the Irish Wheelchair Association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19817/99]
184 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the measures, if any, taken in relation to personal assistance services in line with the requirements set out by the Irish Wheelchair Association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19818/99]
224 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the measures, if any, which have been taken to increase services and support for people with physical disabilities in relation to residential respite and day resource centres together with personal assistance services as required and identified by the Irish Wheelchair Association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19820/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 224 together.
Since this Government took office in 1997 a total of £38.162 million additional funding has been provided for services to people with physical and sensory disabilities. In line 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, this funding has mainly been allocated to address historical deficits in the voluntary sector, to address identified core underfunding of existing services and to develop a number of services such as respite, residential, home support, including personal assistance, day care, therapy services and sheltered employment. Once-off funding has also been provided for the provision of aids and appliances.
Between 1997 and 1998, a total of £2.762 million has been provided for respite and residential services; £841,000 for day activity/day resource services and £902,000 for home support services, including personal assistance services. This year capital funding of £457,000 is being provided for respite and residential services and £1.477 million for day activity and day resource services. The allocation of development funding provided to the health boards in 1999 – £3 million, with a full year cost of £6 million in the year 2000 – is being finalised by a number of the boards in consultation with their regional co-ordinating committees for physical and sensory disability services. Since 1997 an additional 87 respite care places and 46 residential places have been put in place.
185 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide funding to address the urgent residential needs of children with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19946/99]
The principle which underpins the development of services for children and adults with disabilities is to enable each person with a disability to live as full and independent a life as possible. The provision of appropriate day, residential, respite and support services is essential to meet this objective. Community based services are now the preferred model of care and most families are anxious to care for their children at home for as long as possible, with the assistance of appropriate day services and back-up support. The availability of respite care in particular is essential to support the family in looking after a child with disabilities. In a minority of cases, depending on the needs of the child, longer term residential placement in either a campus based setting or community housing may be required. Since my appointment as Minister for Health and Children, and despite the many competing demands which are made on the resources available to my Department, I have consistently identified as one of my priorities the provision of additional residential, respite and day services for both children and adults with disabilities and in particular those with an intellectual disability.
Decisions regarding the development of specific services, including residential services, for both children and adults with disabilities are taken by the health boards in consultation with the regional co-ordinating committees for services to persons with intellectual disabilities and physical and sensory disabilities and in line with the identified priorities for each health board region.
This year I was pleased to be in a position to provide additional funding of £12 million, with a full year cost of £18 million in 2000, for the further development of new services for persons with an intellectual disability. This included specific provision for the expansion of respite services. It also included £1.5 million (with a full year cost of £2.5 million) for the further development of health related support services for children with autism. Capital funding of £10 million from the national capital programme has been allocated to support the development of these new services. Revenue funding of £6 million has also been provided to meet identified needs in existing services. This brings the total additional revenue funding provided in 1999 for the services to £18 million, with a full year cost of £24 million in 2000.
Similarly, a total of £13.4 million additional funding is being provided this year for the maintenance and development of services for persons with physical and sensory disabilities. Of this, £3 million – £6 million on a full year cost basis in the year 2000 – has been allocated for development of services and £4 million for capital projects.
