Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
114. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health the steps that he is taking to ensure that there are sufficient beds and residential accommodation available for persons with disabilities that want to live outside of the family home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37485/22]
View answerWork on the Disability Services Action Plan has examined the need for additional residential places over the next three years in the light of the findings of the Disability Capacity Review to 2032. There is a considerable backlog of unmet needs, alongside the growth in numbers requiring residential care due to demographic changes where more older people with disabilities are living with elderly parents. The Disability Action Plan is in the process of being finalised.
The scale of emergency residential care needs as assessed by the HSE has meant that in recent years, most new residential care provision has gone to meet such needs, with little scope for planned moves before situations reach an emergency point. To begin to refocus towards planned provision, budget 2022 has provided funding for a pilot project on planned residential care provision. This is a joint project between the Brothers of Charity and Ability West in CHO4, which will provide for 32 people to move in a planned way to a home of their own.
HSE Disability Services provide a wide range of supports to those with physical, sensory, intellectual disability whose needs cannot be met by mainstream services or at primary care level.
Residential services are provided according to the needs and requirements of the individuals through a range of housing types from congregated settings to individual supports to people who may live semi-independently.
There are approximately 90 service providers providing residential services to more than 8,300 individuals throughout the country. It should be noted that people accessing residential services are not a homogenous group but have hugely differing and changing needs.
The 2022 National Service Plan
The HSE’s residential services seek to support individuals in a person-centred way in community settings.
In the 2022 National Service Plan, the HSE plans to provide a range of residential supports creating 106 additional places and packages in response to current and demographic need. Specifically, the planned breakdown of investment is: 50 places responding to priority needs, 36 planned residential places, 10 supported living places and 10 intensive home support packages to support transitions and discharges from acute services and the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
The HSE aims to provide 143 people with a disability living in congregated settings with more person-centred homes in the community. A budget of €5 million in funding has been allocated toward this.
The 2022 National Service Plan has also provided for €5.5m in funding to support a further 63 people to move from nursing home settings to homes of their choosing in the community.
