Vol. 524 No. 2
297 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will investigate a payment system to persons with intellectual or other disability whereby the payment would be paid to the individual to allow them to purchase an appropriate service rather than allocating the payment to an institution, as applies at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22207/00]
I have no immediate plans at present to formally investigate the possibility of introducing a direct payment scheme for persons with an intellectual or other disability which would enable them to purchase services. As part of the ongoing development of both policy and services in this area, my Department monitors, through national and international contacts, changes in the models of both service delivery and funding mechanisms which are in use in other countries. Self determination or individualised funding is one of those funding mechanisms. Recently officials from my Department attended the first international conference on self determination and individualised funding. It is one of a number of areas related to the support of people with disability which my Department will be keeping under review.
Question No. 298 taken with Question No. 296.
299 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make the necessary finance available for respite grants to be claimed for more than one child as outlined (details supplied). [22209/00]
The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs is responsible for paying the respite care grant in cases where a person is in receipt of domiciliary care allowance and carer's allowance or in cases where a person is in receipt of carer's allowance only. The health boards are responsible for paying the respite care grant in cases where a person is in receipt of domiciliary care allowance only. The health board respite care grant is aligned with the criteria used by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs which allows for one respite care grant per carer.
The Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs is considering the issue about paying a respite care grant in respect of each eligible person in a family in the context of the forthcoming budget. If further improvements are made by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs to the respite care grant criteria my Department would also consider such changes, subject to Department of Finance approval.
