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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 2003

Vol. 560 No. 1

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Bernard Allen

Question:

595 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the impact on the services for the mentally handicapped arising from the decision to cut from ?38 million to ?13.3 million the allocation for the mentally handicapped people's services for 2003. [27144/02]

Martin Ferris

Question:

613 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Health and Children if the provision of funding for new service developments for people with intellectual disabilities will be allocated in view of the fact that this has not been provided for in the Estimates. [1057/03]

Jan O'Sullivan

Question:

700 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will allocate funding in 2003 to provide residential and day places for children and adults with intellectual disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1659/03]

Tony Gregory

Question:

707 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) indicating that no funding was allocated to any new service developments in 2003, that is residential, respite and day service, for persons with an intellectual disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1727/03]

Paul Connaughton

Question:

708 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the lack of services for children with intellectual disability and the absence of any training or day care services for children due to leave educational units this summer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1743/03]

Michael Ring

Question:

710 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding available in 2003 for children and adults with intellectual disability; and if he envisages new service developments in 2003. [1781/03]

Michael Ring

Question:

711 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding available for emergencies for children and adults with intellectual disability when their parent or carer is no longer able to provide care or in the event of the death of a carer. [1782/03]

Michael Ring

Question:

712 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding available for training-day services for those children with intellectual disability leaving school in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1783/03]

Michael Ring

Question:

713 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding available for 2003 for children and adults with intellectual disability from the 2003 budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1784/03]

Dan Neville

Question:

736 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will re-examine the decision not to increase funding towards those with intellectual disability in the 2003 budget [2079/03]

Paudge Connolly

Question:

737 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Health and Children if the programme for the development of services for children with intellectual disabilities will be extended for a further three years, to enable waiting lists for these services to be eliminated. [2080/03]

Gay Mitchell

Question:

738 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement in response to the concerns of a group (details supplied) in relation to children and adults with intellectual disability in the 2003 budget. [2088/03]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 595, 613, 700, 707, 708, 710 to 713, inclusive, and 736 to 738, inclusive, together.

I am aware of the concerns regarding the provisions of services to persons with an intellectual disability and those with autism.

Additional funding of €13.3 million has been allocated to services for persons with an intellectual disability or autism in 2003 to meet the full year cost of the 2002 developments and to enhance further the health-related support services to children with an intellectual disability or autism. This funding is in addition to the significant revenue investment, amounting to €188 million, which has been made in these services since 1997 and which is built into the ongoing budget base.

The additional funding provided by the Government between 2000 and 2002 was used to put in place, in addition to a range of other services, more than 900 new residential, 380 new respite and around 2,000 new day places for people with an intellectual disability and those with autism.
Despite this significant investment, demographic factors are contributing to growing waiting lists for residential services in particular, even though the number of people in receipt of services, including full-time residential services, continues to increase. The increased birth rate in the 1960s and 1970s has resulted in large numbers of adults in their late 20s and early 30s requiring full-time residential services. In addition, people with an intellectual disability are living longer than previously adding to the need for services compared with previous generations. This has also been the international experience in service provision to this population.
The overall economic position in 2003 has had implications for all aspects of public investment, and this is reflected in the Estimates and budget adopted by the Government for 2003. Within this overall framework, however, some two-thirds of the additional funding available for non-capital investment in services has been allocated to the health services.
This funding is being applied largely to maintaining existing levels of service across all service programmes, including services for people with an intellectual disability. While it is regrettable that the level of investment in these services achieved in recent years could not be maintained in 2003, my Department will work closely with the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the health boards and other service providers regarding service provision this year.
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