Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 October 2012
405. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason funding for People with Disabilities in Ireland ceased at the end of 2011; the other avenues of funding that are available for local groups such as Kerry Network of People with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41424/12]
View answerIn Dec 2011, it was decided that funding to People with Disabilities in Ireland (PwDI) would cease. On the basis of a value for money review, it was clearly established that the vast majority of the money allocated to PwDI was being spent disproportionately. The largest proportion of PwDI’s annual budget was spent on the operation of its office headquarters and on administration rather than on the creation of projects which would directly benefit people with disabilities. This was an untenable situation that could not be allowed to continue as the conclusions of the VFM report show that people with disabilities were benefiting very little from the allocation in real terms.
Expenditure on health services for people with a disability in 2012 will be around €1.54 billion. The majority of that funding is used by the non-statutory agencies providing services. Specialist services include assessment and early childhood/family support services, community-based medical, nursing and therapy services, aids and appliances, financial allowances, specialist day services including sheltered work and rehabilitation training, home support and personal assistance, respite care and residential services. The HSE has undertaken to maximise the provision of services within available resources.
It is my wish to ensure that people with disabilities directly benefit from any money allocated to this sector. With this in mind, I just recently oversaw the finalisation of a major Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services in the Department of Health to ensure that existing funding allocated for people with disabilities is spent to best effect. I am also interested in hearing what people with disabilities have to say on issues affecting them. I have established and am personally chairing a new National Disability Strategy Implementation Group to develop and progress disability strategy. The new group includes representation from a number of disability stakeholder organisations, also three former members of PwDI and a number of people with disabilities who are able to bring their lived experience directly to bear on the very important work of this high level group. This ensures the voice and perspective of people with disabilities will continue to be heard in a more focused and cost effective way.
At my request the National Disability Authority held the first National Disability Forum event in June 2012. This event, which is hoped will be held on an annual basis, was primarily about listening to the views of individual people with disabilities, their families and carers in relation to the key policy areas and service developments that impact on their lives.
The Government must ensure that funding is allocated for maximum provision of services for people with disabilities, having regard to overall resource constraints which affect all sectors at this time. Specialist disability services are provided in a variety of community and residential settings. The integral role of the non-statutory, voluntary and community groups is of particular relevance to the provision of health and personal social services to people with a disability. These agencies provide a very significant and broad range of services in partnership with and on behalf of the Health Service Executive (HSE).
