Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005
152 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when she will implement the National Disability Authority recommendations for establishing national standards in services for persons with disabilities. [34116/04]
View answerA key policy aim of the Health Strategy, Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You, is to deliver high quality services that are based on evidence-supported best practice. Essential elements for the execution of this aim are currently being developed under the health reform programme. A critical constituent in this process is the establishment of the Health Information Quality Authority, HIQA. I have recently appointed the chairman of HIQA and plans are well advanced to put in place an interim HIQA whose role will be to plan for the orderly establishment of the HIQA on a statutory basis.
Responsibility for the development and implementation of the national standards for disability services will rest with HIQA upon its appointment.
153 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the percentage of budget 2005 disability allocations which will pay for services for persons with disabilities; and the percentage which will go towards the assessment and appeals bureaucracy proposed under the Disability Bill 2004. [34117/04]
View answerThe additional revenue funding of €70 million and €60 million capital funding provided in 2005 for services for people with physical, sensory, intellectual disabilities, autism and mental illness is being used to put in place a broad range of new and enhanced services around the country. These include, among others, new residential, respite, day and home support services, together with enhanced access to child and adolescent mental health treatment services.
As outlined by the Taoiseach at the launch of the national disability strategy last September, the Government is committed to building on and accelerating the measures which it has taken in recent years to strengthen the capacity of the health services to respond to the identified needs in support services for people with disabilities and to implement the provisions of the proposed Disability Bill 2004 and other relevant legislative measures.
154 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the way in which the additional finance in budget 2005 will be used to reduce the number of service users — currently 299 — on the priority residential waiting list at a centre (details supplied) in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34118/04]
View answerThe additional revenue funding of €70 million and €60 million capital funding provided in 2005 for services for people with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities, autism and mental illness is being used to put in place a broad range of new and enhanced services around the country. These include, among others, new residential, respite, day and home support services, together with enhanced access to child and adolescent mental health treatment services.
As the Deputy may be aware, since 1 January 2005 the Health Service Executive is the statutory provider of health and personal social services to persons with an intellectual disability and those with autism. The disbursement of the additional funding will be carried out by the executive.
