Services for People with Disabilities

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Questions (609)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Question:

609. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health when funding to ensure that residential services for persons with disabilities are independently inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority will be made available; his plans to progress same; the date on which the inspections regime will begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45881/12]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The Government is committed to ensuring that vulnerable people with disabilities in residential services are safeguarded and protected, and that their quality of life is enhanced. The current Programme for Government includes a specific commitment to put the draft standards developed by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) on a statutory footing and ensure that the services are inspected by HIQA. These draft standards outline what is expected of a provider of services and what a person with a disability, his or her family, and the public can expect to receive from residential care services.

The draft standards document is currently the subject of a 5 week consultation process prior to being finalised and brought before the board of HIQA. The final agreed standards will then be forwarded to my Department for approval with a likely publication date in January 2013. It is expected that the new regulatory system should be up and running by mid 2013. Work is also ongoing in my Department on both the 'Registration and Inspection' regulations and the 'Care and Welfare' regulations required to bring the standards into law. These are being developed taking into account the lessons learned from similar regulations for nursing homes.

My Department has been in active engagement with HIQA on the level of resources and staffing needed, particularly in the short term. 10 posts which will enable the Authority commence preparatory work for the registration and inspection regime have already been approved. My Department is continuing discussions with HIQA to determine the longer term staffing and resource requirements and these will be considered further in the context of the Department's 2013 estimates.