Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 September 2014
132. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding the Health Information and Quality Authority quality standards for service providers (details supplied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36156/14]
View answerThe Programme for Government committed to putting National Standards for Residential Services for People with Disabilities on a statutory footing, to ensure that services could be inspected by HIQA. This commitment was fulfilled when two regulations, one relating to care and support and the second relating to registration issues, were approved and signed by the Minister for Health, with the scheme commencing on 1st November 2013.
The introduction of registration and inspection represents a significant advance in terms of delivering consistent and high quality services for people with disabilities in residential services. The purpose of the regulations is to safeguard and support the delivery of person-centred care to vulnerable people of any age who are receiving residential care services and ensure that their health, well-being and quality of life is promoted and protected. This will empower providers to deliver even higher quality standards.
Compliance with the HIQA standards is a requirement under the Service Level Arrangements (SLA) between the HSE and voluntary service providers in the disability sector. To date, HIQA has published over 600 inspection reports and the lessons learned from them are continuing to improve our wider services and ensure that our clients are safe, secure and happy in their care.
I am informed that a number of service providers have raised concerns with the HSE on the additional costs arising in meeting the HIQA regulations. I understand that the HSE are gathering information on a national basis in relation to the costs of meeting the National Standards for Residential Services for children and Adults with Disabilities and that the matter will come under consideration in the context of framing the HSE's estimates for its 2015 Service Plan requirements.
