Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 February 2014
35. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when he will move to tackle the enormous regional disparities in the provision of early intervention teams for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6938/14]
View answer56. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health the way he will address the absence of early intervention teams for children in many areas of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6927/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 56 together.
The Government is committed to the provision and development of services for children with a disability, including early intervention services, within available resources. While these services are in the process of being reconfigured under the HSE's National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (0-18 years), it is important to note that all HSE areas have significant early intervention services in place for children with disabilities aged zero to eighteen years. These are provided directly by the HSE or by voluntary service providers funded by the HSE.
The aim of the Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People is to achieve a national, unified approach to delivering disability health services so that there is a clear pathway to services for all children, regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of their disability. An additional €4m has been specifically allocated in 2014 to drive implementation of the Programme. This equates to approximately 80 therapy posts.
There are almost 60 geographic-based multi-disciplinary teams established as part of the reconfigured service model under the Programme. It is hoped that a further 30 teams will be reconfigured this year, bringing the overall total to approximately 90 teams by the end of 2014. These figures reflect all children's disability teams that provide early intervention services to children aged between zero and eighteen years. The transition to this new model is being implemented on a phased basis and, importantly, includes consultation and engagement with stakeholders, such as service users and their families.
