Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 May 2004
64 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps he intends to take to ensure that counselling services are available to families caring for individuals with serious and often fatal disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15429/04]
View answerThe significant additional funding which has been provided by this and the previous Government for services for people with disabilities has been used to put in place a broad range of support services. These include enhanced access to counselling services by individuals with a disability and their families/carers.
Additional funding, amounting to €24 million, has been provided in 2004 to meet specific needs, such as the provision of emergency residential placements and extra day services for persons with intellectual disability and those with autism, and to meet priority needs identified by the health boards in services for people with physical and sensory disabilities.
While significant progress has been made in recent years, the Government accepts that more needs to be done in this area and that there is a need for a continued programme of investment in services for people with disabilities over a number of years.
