Holly Cairns
Question:65. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to improve disability services in County Cork. [32534/23]
View answerTuesday, 4 July 2023
Questions (65)
Written answers
I am aware that Children’s Disability Services in Cork covers a wide area of service provision encompassing Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), Special Schools and Assessment of Need, Children’s Respite Services, Home Supports, Outreach Services, and Children’s Residential Placements, delivered through a range of service providers including lead agencies such as Enable Ireland, COPE Foundation, Brothers of Charity, St. Joseph's Foundation, St. John of Gods, CoAction and in addition by PRAXIS care, RehabCare and Doorway to Life Limited.
There are 11 CDNT’s for Cork City & County, each managed by a Lead Agency, with the location of each aligning with the Community Healthcare Networks.
A number of important developments have taken place in the region to improve Children's Disability Services, including the following advised by HSE:
• Additional posts in special schools were allocated to CHO4 in 2022 based on the numbers of schools and the whole time equivalents in situ prior to reconfiguration.
• A Cork Regional Children’s Respite Forum was established in 2022 which manages referrals and respite service provision in the Cork area.
• Recent respite developments include provision of capacity at Brothers of Charity increasing by 14 nights per fortnight, whilst 5 places will also become available at Cope Foundation.
• Children’s respite in the Lavanagh Centre, Curaheen currently offers 138 bednights. New development will increase this provision by 690 bednights giving a total of 828 bednights. A total of 48 children will benefit in a full year from this development.
• St. Joseph’s Foundation: Planned new respite capacity from 8th July 2023 to increase to a maximum of 6-8 beds.
• Family Forums have been held throughout Cork with the relevant CDNTs.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare continues to actively engage with all service providers to maximise the use of available resources to improve the service provided to all people with disabilities.
Questions Nos. 66 and 67 answered orally.