Vol. 554 No. 5
1085 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children the numbers of personal assistants, per health board, employed by his Department to provide care and assistance to persons who are wheelchair bound and who previously had the care of persons on community employment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16334/02]
Personal assistance services to people with disabilities are provided either directly by the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards or by the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Centres for Independent Living on behalf of the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards.
The Irish Wheelchair Association and the Centres for Independent Living provide personal assistance services using community employment scheme participants. In line with a commitment in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, and following consultations with relevant Departments and the social partners, certain services currently provided by participants on CE schemes are being mainstreamed. This process has already commenced in the case of CE services in schools. It is estimated that there are in the region of 4,000 places in the area of health and personal social services, including services for people with disabilities, suitable for mainstreaming.
My Department supports the mainstreaming of these services in view of its potential to create more permanent funding for the delivery of such services in the future. The allocation of funds to specific service providers will, thereafter, be a matter for the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards.
