Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 November 2020
209. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with disabilities in receipt of home support hours in each LHO area as of 31 October 2020 or the latest date available; the number on the waiting list for same in each LHO area; and the number waiting zero to three, three to six, six to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively in tabular form. [34243/20]
View answerAssisted living services including Home support and Personal Assistant (PA) services are funded by the Department of Health to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives.
Home support and PA Services are provided either directly by the HSE or through a range of voluntary service providers. The majority of specialised disability provision (80%) is delivered through non-statutory sector service providers.
Services are accessed through an application process or through referrals from public health nurses or other community based staff. Individuals’ needs are evaluated against the criteria for prioritisation for the particular services and then decisions are made in relation to the allocation of resources. Resource allocation is determined by the needs of the individual, compliance with prioritisation criteria, and the level of resources available. As with every service there is not a limitless resource available for the provision of home support services and while the resources available are substantial they are finite. In this context, services are discretionary and the number of hours granted is determined by other support services already provided to the person/family.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
