Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
1508. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Health the plans in place for St. John of God’s, Drumcar, County Louth; the engagement there has been between stakeholders and families of service users; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33631/21]
View answerSt John of God Community Services clg (SJOGCS) is a legal entity within the St John of God Hospitaller Services Group, which is funded under Section 38 of the Health Act, 2004 to provide services on behalf of the HSE to over 2,400 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in CHO Areas 4,6,7 & 8. It is the second largest provider of disability services in the state and operates 93 residential centres which are registered with HIQA. St John of God residential facility in Drumcar is located in CHO 8.
SJOGCS also provides mental health services and supports through Cluain Mhuire Community Health Services on behalf of the HSE in CHO Areas 6 and 7.
As the Deputy will be aware, SJOGCS has given the HSE 12 months’ notice of its intention to terminate its Section 38 arrangement with a view to transferring responsibility for the provision of disability and mental health services to the State by 1 October 2021. It is recognised that SJOGCS is a significant and important disability service provider for the State. Accordingly, my foremost concern, which is shared by the HSE, is to ensure the continuity of appropriate disability services delivery by SJOGCS in line with strong governance mechanisms in a cost-effective and equitable manner consistent with care and support needs.
I understand that the HSE is engaging intensively with SJOGCS on a mutually acceptable twin track approach to allow for SJOGCS to continue to provide services and ‘pause’ the notice of intent to exit the provision of services, while at the same time maintaining work on the transition plan. In the context of the transition plan, the HSE and SJOGCS has appointed a Joint Governance Committee and a Joint Implementation Committee to plan for the orderly transfer of services to the HSE covering: - Services - Finance and Assets - Communications - Human Resources. I am very conscious that SJOGCS has played a significant role in the delivery of vital disability services and supports to service users and their families across the State for many years and the key focus at present is to ensure that the organisation is facilitated to maintain its important service delivery role into the future in line with a reformed model of care. Therefore, in parallel with the work on the transition plan, the HSE is encouraging SJOGCS to engage in a Sustainability Impact Assessment, which would provide the organisation with a pathway to financial and operational sustainability and enable the organisation to remain in service provision.
Finally, I understand that the HSE is engaging with the families of service users in relation to the overall process and I would like to assure the Deputy that the needs of services users and their families are at the forefront of all considerations and decision-making in relation to the reform process. The HSE met with the National Parents, Families and Friends Association (NPFFA) of SJOG on dates in March, May and June this year. Across the next three months the HSE will meet with the NPFFA on a fortnightly basis. I am advised by the HSE that there is an open communication channel both through phone call and/or email between the HSE and NPFFA reps as required. In addition, on the 28th June, two NPFFA representatives were brought on to the Communications Work stream as part of the four workstreams regarding the transition programme from SJOGCS to the HSE.
