Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 2003

Vol. 566 No. 1

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Gerard Murphy

Question:

92 Mr. Murphy asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress being made on the implementation of bringing residential facilities for children with disabilities under the active remit of the social services inspectorate as provided for in the Children Act 2001; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11902/03]

Paul McGrath

Question:

105 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children when the remit of the social services inspectorate will be extended to cover residential care for older people and adults with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11896/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. B. Lenihan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 105 together. The social services inspectorate, SSI, was established in April 1999 initially on an administrative basis but, in the longer term, it is proposed to establish it on a statutory basis. The main function of the inspectorate is to support the child care services by promoting and ensuring the development of quality standards. The SSI will monitor all personal social services operated by the health boards, but initially it is concentrating on the child care area and in particular on the inspection of health board operated residential child care facilities.

The health strategy, Quality and Fairness, has set 2003 as the target date for the establishment of the SSI on a statutory basis. It also states that the remit of the SSI will be extended to cover residential care for older people and people with disabilities.

The current position is as follows. Work on the draft of a statutory instrument to enable the SSI to be established on a statutory footing is under way. Work is well advanced, in conjunction with the National Disability Authority, on the development of national standards for residential services for adults with disabilities. The existing national standards for children residential centres, published in September 2001, will be examined to ensure that they encompass the needs of children with disabilities. A number of health boards are currently working on developing guidelines for standards of care for older people in residential institutions. It is proposed to involve the social services inspectorate in this work to ensure that the expertise developed by the inspectorate in other areas of work can be considered by the boards when drawing up the new guidelines. Standards of care in nursing homes will also be considered in the context of the review of the nursing home subvention scheme.

Full implementation of these initiatives will be dependent on the availability of resources for new initiatives in the health services.