Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022
525. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to ensure Ukrainians fleeing war and arriving into Ireland are aware of and appropriately referred to services that support children with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22215/22]
View answerIt is a priority for the Department and the HSE to ensure that Ukrainian refugees are provided with appropriate health and social care services.
Ukrainian nationals including children with disabilities will be able to get health care services from the HSE including access to Covid-19 vaccinations, GPs, community care and hospital or emergency care. As well as access to services for children’s health, mental health, disabilities maternity care, older people and many more. Ukrainian nationals will be able to get the same health services as people who are already living here, including Irish citizens.
Healthcare services for people with urgent medical needs will be provided through the public hospital system. It is important that these needs are identified to the health authorities upon arrival in Ireland.
A HSE team is in place at Dublin Airport ensuring that Ukrainian refugees receive information on health services.
Information on these health services is available on hse.ie/Ukraine and also on gov.ie/Ukraine (also available in both Ukrainian and Russian).
An Information Pack is being finalised for families with disabilities and this will be available on www.hse.ie/ukraine under “Disabilities” – this information pack sign posts people with families to supports and services available to them.
A “Visual Cues” poster is also in development to be displayed in airports, ports, reception centres and congregated accommodation centres to support families with disabilities to self- declare any additional needs that they have – and to be referred to HSE Disability Services.
The HSE has established a number of dedicated workstreams underpinning its national coordination efforts, including one which focuses on ‘Disability Services’. This is chaired by the HSE Disability Specialist for Quality Improvement and meets weekly to provide updates from the National Coordination Group, identify challenges that organisations or CHOs are dealing with and develop solutions.
The HSE National Disability Operations Office is working with the Community Health Organisations, its funded disability service providers, and representative bodies, to manage and co-ordinate appropriate responses for children and adults with disabilities.
HSE Disability Specialist for Quality Improvement meets with the Heads of Disability Services in each of the Community Health Organisation Areas weekly to ensure that a pathway for disability screening and assessment as Ukrainians arrive into Ireland is being undertaken – Ukrainians are then placed on the normal referral pathways for Children’s Disability Network Teams, Primary Care Occupational Therapy for equipment, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Day Services.
