Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 16 Apr 2003

Vol. 565 No. 4

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Dan Neville

Ceist:

133 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children when a suitable wheelchair will be supplied to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick in view of the fact that this was sanctioned by the Mid-Western Health Board in May 2002. [11169/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. T. O'Malley)

The provision of aids and appliances to people with physical and sensory disabilities, including the provision of wheelchairs, is a matter for the relevant health board. Accordingly, a copy of the Deputy's question has been referred to the chief executive officer of the Mid-Western Health Board with a request that he examine the matter and reply directly to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.

John Cregan

Ceist:

134 Mr. Cregan asked the Minister for Health and Children the situation regarding the campaign of groups and individuals for improved services for the intellectually disabled and the case made which led to substantially increased funding over a three year period; if this funding was meant to solve the backlog; if so, the reason there is now supposed to be a backlog; the database figures for commencement of enhanced funding; the number of places provided with extra funding; the percentage of the plan which was achieved in each year; the way in which the database increased; if it was not compiled with the various agencies providing the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11280/03]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. T. O'Malley)

Since 1997 there has been an unprecedented level of investment in the health funded support services for people with disabilities. Additional funding amounting to €555 million has been invested in these services. This level of additional funding has enabled substantial progress to be made with regard to the development of residential, respite, day, therapy and other support services for people with disabilities.

The national intellectual disability database indicated that in 1996, 85.5% – 22,804 persons – of the population of people with an intellectual disability were known to be in receipt of services. By 2000, this had increased to 89.8% – 24,035 persons.

Developments to date are summarised as follows:

Area	Progress up to 2001
Residential Care	Between 1997 and 2001, around 1,600 additional residential places, mainly community based, have been provided. This figure would include new residential respite places developed in 1997 and 1998.
Residential Respite Care	Between 1999 and 2001, 395 dedicated respite places were provided.
Day Care	Between 1997 and 2001, around 2,400 new day places were provided.
Programme to transfer persons with an intellectual disability or autism from psychiatric hospitals or other inappropriate settings	This programme provides alternative placements and/or an enhanced level of services for this group. The number of persons accommodated in psychiatric hospitals in October 2002 was 452. This is down from 970 in 1996. While to date a major proportion of the new accommodation provided has been in community based homes, a number of major developments came on stream in 2001.
Health Related Support Services for Children	Since 1998 approximately €10.79m has been allocated to enhance the early intervention, pre-school and multi-disciplinary support services for children with an intellectual disability and those with autism.
Specialist Support Services	Between 1999 and 2001, additional funding of €10.16m was provided to enable health boards to put in place a range of support services for persons with an intellectual disability or autism who present with major behavioural problems and require a more intensive level of support.

The database figures returned by the health boards in 1999 indicated that 1,677 people required full-time residential places and 912 people required day places.

In relation to the percentage of the plan achieved in each year, the "three year strategy" to address identified service needs was not a defined plan in terms of identified numbers of places to be provided each year. In addition, the number identified as being in need of services does not remain static, i.e. identifying a need for 1,677 residential places in 1999 and providing funding to provide those services will not address services needs that arise year on year through the life of the strategy. As people requiring services receive those services, others present with service needs and as services are provided according to severity of need rather than duration since identification of need, the strategy has to be one of reducing the backlog while addressing emerging needs.

The national intellectual disability database is updated annually by all statutory and non-statutory agencies providing services to people with an intellectual disability. However, despite this very significant investment in intellectual disability services in recent years and a corresponding growth in the level of service provision, the need for services continues to grow and this is mainly due to demographic factors. The increased birth rate in the 1960s and 1970s has resulted in large numbers of adults in their late 20s and early 30s requiring full-time residential services. In addition, people with an intellectual disability are living longer than previously, contributing to both an ongoing demand for services and a reduction in the number of places freed up through death. This has also been the international experience in service provision to this population.

Finally, in terms of the database, improvements in service provision and continuing demand for services to the end of 2002 will be seen in the 2003 export of data from the national intellectual disability database which is due to be received from the health boards at the end of May 2003. Following validation, this will be the subject of a report by the Health Research Board in late 2003-early 2004.