Dan Boyle
Ceist:314 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to introduce a uniform personal assistant scheme for people with physical disability and mobility difficulties. [6153/03]
Written Answers - Personal Assistance Service.
Dan Boyle
Ceist:316 Mr. Boyle asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will report on the personal assistants working group. [6155/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 316 together.
A working group established by the Minister for Health and Children is currently examining the provision of a uniform, national personal assistant scheme for people with physical and mobility difficulties. The working group is comprised of representatives of the Department of Health and Children, service providers and service users. The group has received information and statistics from health boards on current practices, procedures, service utilisation and demand in their respective boards. Draft standard policies and procedures on assessment of need, and training of personal assistants have been compiled by the working group. It is the intention of the working group to produce a draft set of standard policies and procedures covering various aspects of personal assistance and home support services for consideration by the health boards later this year.