Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
635. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional funding allocated for day services for disabled people; the additional places created for day services for disabled people; the unmet need identified in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 for day services for disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35367/23]
View answerHSE-funded day programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. Access to services is based on an individual’s needs rather than on their diagnosis. The focus is on supporting people to participate in the mainstream activities and in the life of their community, in line with their wishes and needs.Day services are a vital support for adult with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers, typically by end of May, to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances young people due to leave school at end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June so there is a natural transition into day services in September.New development funding of €8.5m will support approximately 1,200 new places for people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services in 2023, with a full year cost of €27m in 2024.As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
