Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Centres for Independent Living.

Mr. O'Shea

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise this important matter on the Adjournment. The independent living movement, which was founded in 1972 in Berkeley, California, has as its aim to enable and empower people with disabilities to take control of their own lives. The first centre for independent living in Ireland was launched in Dublin in 1992. Waterford's centre for independent living is linked both to the national and international independent living movement. It was established in 1995. The setting up of the centre for independent living in Waterford has been of great benefit to people with physical disabilities. Not least of these benefits is the provision of personal assistants under the FÁS community employment scheme. Whereas remarkable progress has been made in terms of improving dramatically the quality of life for dis abled people, a permanent long-term system is still not in place. Those between the ages of 21 and 35 who have had 52 weeks continuous unemployment can have one year on the community employment scheme. Those aged 35 or over who have three years continuous unemployment or three years including unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance, one parent family allowance, a FÁS course or previous community employment scheme, can have three continuous years. The problem is that people who develop competence as personal assistants, at the end of one or three years as the case may be, are no longer available and there is a difficulty at present recruiting suitable people under the community employment scheme. The situation is becoming critical.

Another initiative under the Waterford Centre for Independent Living in September 1998 was the launching of Waterford Vantastic. This relates to a wheelchair accessible door to door transport service. A fully adapted vehicle is now in operation in the city and other surrounding areas. It is capable of carrying two wheelchair users and three seated passengers. The service operates six days a week and on Sundays by request. It is clear that the Waterford Centre for Independent Living with the assistance of FÁS has in the short period of its existence provided a great change in terms of services for the physically disabled. To ensure that the service prospers and expands, there is a need for an independent living fund in the Waterford area. It has been demonstrated beyond doubt that people require the services provided.

The areas in which the personal assistants operate are personal care, household duties and escort for business or social activities. Services can also be provided for students, thus enabling them to attend college. The tasks also undertaken by personal assistants include gardening, household maintenance, cooking, driving, assistance with exercise routines and social escort. I understand that although FÁS has allocated 14 CE places to the Waterford Centre for Independent Living this year, only 11 people are currently involved as personal assistants. It is imperative that there is an intervention which will provide for the long-term viability of the scheme and in particular, where people are no longer available under CE, that a structure is put in place where they can be retained within the activities of the Waterford Centre for Independent Living.

It would be extremely cruel and unacceptable if people who had the benefit of services were denied them because of bureaucratic and administrative constraints. I call on the Minister to ensure that the appropriate intervention is made as soon as possible.

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt)

On behalf my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, I am pleased to have this oppor tunity to clarify the matter of the provision of funding to the voluntary sector in respect of services provided by it to people with physical and sensory disabilities.

In the first instance the health boards have responsibility for the provision of services to people with physical and sensory disabilities. In accordance with section 65 of the Health Act, 1953, health boards may contribute to the expenses of voluntary agencies providing services, similar or ancillary to a service which the health board itself may provide. Accordingly, State funding to voluntary agencies providing services to people with physical and sensory disabilities is provided by way of section 65 funding through the health boards.

Each health board has a regional co-ordinating committee for physical and sensory disability services. These committees comprise representatives of the health boards, voluntary sector service providers, the consumer and the National Rehabilitation Board. They provide a structure designed to promote partnership between the statutory and voluntary sectors. One of the functions of the co-ordinating committee is to advise the health boards on priorities for the allocation of funding available for the development of services to people with physical and sensory disabilities in the board's functional area.

The Centre for Independent Living was established in Dublin in 1992 and is involved in a number of activities for people with disabilities encompassing housing, access and mobility, legislation, image, perception and terminology of disability and international relations. CIL advocates the promotion of independent living through the use of personal assistants, fielded by means of an independent living fund. The Centre for Independent Living currently has 25 centres nationwide. A total of 22 of the centres are providing personal assistance services through the use of the FÁS community employment scheme. There are five CIL branches based in the South Eastern Health Board area, one of which is the Waterford Centre referred to by Deputy O'Shea. The Centre for Independent Living is represented by the Disability Federation of Ireland on the South Eastern Health Board's co-ordinating committee for physical and sensory disability services.

The overall thrust of the Government's policy in relation to services for people with physical and sensory disabilities is to provide the supports necessary to enable them to live in the community with the maximum degree of independence possible for each individual. These services are being developed in line with the recommendations of the report of the review group on health and personal social services for people with physical and sensory disabilities, Towards an Independent Future, which was published in December 1996. The report of the review group sets out in detail the requirements for the maintenance and development of a range of services, such as respite care, day care, therapy services and home supports, including personal assistance services. The objective of the policy is to develop this range of services as a whole, in accordance with the availability of funding. The priority to be given to any particular service or services is a matter for each health board in accordance with local needs.

Since the Government took office, a total of almost £37 million by way of additional funding has been invested in the maintenance and development of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. This year, a total of £13.4 million additional funding was provided of which £3 million was for the development of services. I point out the £3 million allocated for development this year will rise to £6 million on a full year cost basis in 2000.

Each health board decided, in consultation with its local co-ordinating committee for physical and sensory disability services, on priorities for the allocation of this funding in its functional area. It is a matter for each health board to decide on the priorities appropriate in its own area for the allocation of this funding. As I indicated, such decisions are taken in consultation with the voluntary sector and consumers through the co-ordinating committees. It is a matter for the local health board to assist in this area.