Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Jun 2001

Vol. 538 No. 3

Written Answers. - Regional Health Authorities.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

233 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of personal assistants in each health board area; and the amount allocated to each health board for personal assistants' services from 1995 to date in 2001. [18020/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

There are currently two main non-statutory agencies providing personal assistance services throughout the country, the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Centre for Independent Living through its 26 branches nationwide. While the Irish Wheelchair Association has developed this service in partnership with the health boards and is funded by the boards to provide the service on its behalf, historically, the Centre for Independent Living has provided the personal assistant service, using primarily the FÁS community employment scheme and, to a lesser extent, funding provided by the health boards. Between these two agencies it is estimated that currently there are in the region of 510 individuals employed as personal assistants in Ireland providing a service to approximately 379 leaders. This figure does not include the personal assistance services being put in place in 2001-02. Exact information as to the breakdown of personal assistants in each health board area is not available at this time. This information has been requested from the health boards and will be furnished to the Deputy when available.

In relation to funding allocated to the personal assistance service, I would like to advise the Deputy that my policy is to develop the range of services as a whole, in accordance with the amount of funding available, to enable people with physical and sensory disabilities to live as independently as possible. This range of services includes respite care, day care and home support services, which includes home helps, home care attendants and personal assistant services. The provision of a service is most appropriately based on an individual's needs, which may not always be met by a personal assistance service. The amount allocated by an individual health board in any year is decided in the context of local needs and in consultation with the regional co-ordinating committees for physical and sensory disability services. Voluntary sector service providers and consumers are represented on the co-ordinating committees.

Between 1995 and 1996, a total of £3.31 million ongoing revenue was provided for the maintenance and development of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. This funding was primarily targeted at the development of therapy services, respite services and residential services.

In 1997, funding of just over £1 million was provided for the development of services, of which £56,000 was identified for home support/personal assistance services, £30,000 by the North-Eastern Health Board and £26,000 by the Western Health Board.

Since coming into office in June 1997, this Government has allocated additional funding of just over £107 million for the maintenance and development of services, including the full range of home support services, to people with physical and sensory disabilities. Between 1998 and 1999, the allocation of funding to home support services, including personal assistance services was decided by the health boards in consultation with the regional co-ordinating committees. In 2000, a sum of £3 million, with a full year cost of £6 million, was identified to the boards for the development of personal assistance services and this year I decided that £5 million with a full year cost of £10 million in the year 2002 is to be targeted at home supports, including £2.5 million with a full year cost of £6 million for personal assistance services.

The following table shows approximately how additional ongoing revenue funding has been allocated by and to the health boards for the development of home support services, including personal assistance services since 1998.

Health Board	1998(£m)	1999(£m)	2000(£m)	2001(£m)
ERHA	0.215	0.685	2.16	3.6
MHB	0.03		.36	.6
MWHB	0.1	.05	.48	.8
NEHB	0.03	.009	.54	.9
NWHB	0.045	.042	.36	.6
SEHB	0.142	.145	.6	1.0
SHB	0.056	.2	.9	1.5
WHB	0.091	.240	.6	1.0
Total	0.709	1.371	6.00	10.0