Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
524. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to confirm that as part of the Personalised Budgets Demonstration Projects Pilot that when PAS funding is unbundled from existing services how much of that HSE budget is retained by organisations who will no longer provide a PA service to disabled people in this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29455/23]
View answerI have been advised that when a service user, who is currently in receipt of HSE funded services, expresses an interest in participating in the Pilot Personalised Budget Project, with the participants agreement the Personalised Budget Office commences engagement with the local Disability Services Department in the CHO, advising that we have received a request from Client X who is currently in receipt of, in this example, PAS from Provider Y. The funding associated with the PAS is advised as is €X amount. In this example, the participant still requires PAS but they are deciding, in line with their expressed will and preference, to choose either a different service provider or reconfigure their current service. In this regard, there is no reduction in the overall PAS, as it is either provided by an alternative service provider or the current service provider in a reconfigured manner.
