Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2015
485. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 121 of 2 December 2015, his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding placements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46371/15]
View answerThe HSE has assured me that planning for the needs of young people with disabilities who will leave school in 2016 has already commenced and will take into account the lessons learnt from the 2015 process.
A meeting of the HSE’s National Project Group, which took place in November, has agreed the process for 2016. The approach will be to identify the needs of school-leavers earlier and where service developments are required to meet these needs, the HSE aims to make decisions at an earlier stage in the year so as facilitate a September commencement date for the young people concerned. The HSE has now initiated the process of identifying all those that will require a placement in 2016 and the physical capacity within existing services to accommodate these young people. In addition, as part of the 2016 process, the HSE will also carry out strategic planning for 2017 and 2018.
