asked the Minister for Health if he will establish a scheme for vocational rehabilitation to restore the employment potential of disabled persons.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Vocational Rehabilitation Scheme.
2.
Vocational rehabilitation services are already available in this country under the aegis of health boards and a range of voluntary organisations. These services include training for open employment, occupational therapy, industrial therapy and sheltered employment.
Some of the services concerned are provided by health boards in conjunction with their psychiatric services; others are provided in association with centres for the mentally handicapped, while some are provided by voluntary organisations, such as the Rehabilitation Institute.
I indicated last year that there was a need to develop these services further and also to create a situation in which development could take place on a planned basis in the future. I set up a working party of experts to advise me in the matter.
Last January I accepted in principle the working party's recommendations. I have already taken steps to begin to implement their findings. In this regard, a special training course for instructors of the handicapped has been initiated by AnCO and the Board of the National Rehabilitation Board has been strengthened.
At present discussions are taking place between the National Rehabilitation Board and officials of my Department with a view to improving the board's present staffing structure. This is a prerequisite to further development in the field of training the handicapped, since the National Rehabilitation Board will pay a major role in developing these services in the future.
I put down this question to the Minister for Defence because it related to Army personnel. I felt the Army had a responsibility in relation to occupational disablement in the case of personnel who suffered disabilities of one type or another and who were retained in the service of the Army and wanted to ensure that, when they left the Army, they would not be on the labour market at the end of the queue and I was asking the Minister for Defence if he had in mind the establishment of a scheme of vocational rehabilitation in the services.
With all due respect, there was no mention of the Army in the question. I want to be quite frank with the Deputy. Like him, I believe that those services should be developed. The National Rehabilitation Board operate a placement service which helps to get employment for the handicapped with suitable training for those who need it. Like the Deputy, I believe we should develop this service and that is my intention.
Does that mean a serving soldier who suffers a disability of some type can avail of these services? Will time off be permitted to him to avail of the services mentioned by the Parliamentary Secretary?
That is a completely different question.
Does it mean that a person who suffers a disability while in the Army and is retrained can get time off to avail of the services mentioned by the Parliamentary Secretary?
That is obviously a matter for another Minister.
I put down this question to the Minister for Defence.
I am sorry if the Deputy feels it is something for another Minister. That is not the responsibility of the Chair.
There is no provision for vocational training for occupational disability within the Army.