Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 November 2023
418. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional funding that was provided in 2022 and to-date in 2023 for day services for disabled people; and the additional places created for day services for disabled people. [50550/23]
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 to allow for a transition into day services in September.
These services are demand led and the number of new places in any year reflects the number of applications from young people leaving school. Funding is allocated to provide day service placements for approximately 1200-1400 people with disabilities who are leaving school to transition into adult day services.
|
Year |
In Year Cost |
Full Year Cost in following year |
|
2022 |
€14.4m |
€ 33.4 |
|
2023 |
€8.5m |
€32.2m |
|
2024 |
€18.2m |
€36.4m |
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. As the Deputy may be aware, the industrial action that commenced on Friday 6 October, by management and administrative grades in Fórsa Trade Union in the HSE, will impact on the response times to Parliamentary Questions and Representations.
