Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2013
537. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason community-based supports for persons with a disability continue to be cut, including personal and home help assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44445/13]
View answerThis Government currently provides funding of over €1.5 billion to the Disability Services Programme, through the Health Service Executive's (HSE) National Service Plan for 2013 and is committed to protecting frontline services for people with disabilities to the greatest possible extent. In relation to Home Support Services for older people, I would like to reassure the Deputy that the HSE committed in its National Service Plan for 2013 to maintaining the home help and home care package services at levels planned for 2012.
The HSE as a whole has to operate within the parameters of funding available to it and given the current economic environment, this has become a major challenge for all stakeholders, including the HSE, voluntary service providers, service users and their families. I can assure the Deputy that the HSE will continue to ensure that all of the resources available for specialist disability services are used in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
However, pending the completion of the HSE's National Service Plan for 2014, it is not possible to predict the service levels to be provided next year for the disability sector.
