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Services for People with Disabilities.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 July 2004

Wednesday, 7 July 2004

Ceisteanna (228)

Jerry Cowley

Ceist:

221 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will address the perceived gross lack of support for the sufferers of autism and their families; the lack of rights based legislation despite promises by Government, the lack of non-means tested medical cards for specific family members suffering from autism, the passing-off of responsibility between his Department and the Department of Education and Science on supplying services to autistic children, the lack of occupational therapists and speech therapists and the lack of respite care for sufferers of autism and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20605/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Department of Health and Children and the Department of Education and Science have been working together at national level to enhance the level of educational and health-related support services available to children with special educational needs, including those with autism.

The Government has invested an additional amount of around €643 million in health funded services for people with disabilities since 1997. This includes around €388 million allocated to services for people with autism and those with an intellectual disability to provide a broad range of support services including residential, respite, day and home support services. Since 1998 approximately €16 million has been put into the system to enhance the early intervention, pre-school and multi-disciplinary support services — speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychology and other support services — for children with autism and those with an intellectual disability.

Several key developments were noted in the 2003 annual report from the national intellectual disability database, including the continued expansion in the availability of residential support services, in particular service-based respite services, which had grown by 314%, with an additional 520 people reported as being in receipt of these services between 2002 and 2003 alone.

Notwithstanding the additional funding described above, one of the major difficulties facing the health services in delivering support services to people with disabilities is the shortage of certain professionals such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists.

Significant progress has been achieved in boosting the number of training places in line with the recommendations of the report entitled, Current and Future Demand Conditions in the Labour Market for Certain Professional Therapists, commissioned by my Department from Dr. Peter Bacon and Associates. In May 2002, the Minister for Health and Children announced, in conjunction with the Minister for Education and Science, an additional 175 therapy training places in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy to achieve the recommended increase in the number of therapists over the next decade recommended in the report. These additional places have now come on stream.

There has also been a concerted overseas recruitment drive on behalf of all health boards, the introduction of a fast-track working visa scheme for health and social care professionals and the streamlining of procedures for the validation of overseas qualifications. The success of these measures is reflected in the increases in speech and language therapists and occupational therapists employed in the public health service over the last three year period to end of 2002, with a 73% increase in occupational therapists and a 33% increase in speech and language therapists.

In relation to legislation, the Government intends, as promised in the Agreed Programme for Government, to bring forward a disability Bill which includes provisions for rights of assessment and for appeals, provision and enforcement. The Bill is being finalised and will be published as soon as the Government has completed its work.

In relation to medical cards, no person or group of persons, other than those aged 70 years and over, is automatically entitled to a medical card. People who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be entitled to a medical card. Eligibility for a medical card is solely a matter for the chief executive officer of the relevant health board. In determining eligibility, the CEO has regard to the applicant's financial circumstances. Health boards use income guidelines to assist in determining eligibility. However, where a person's income exceeds the guidelines, a medical card may be awarded if the CEO considers that the person's medical needs or other circumstances would justify this. Medical cards may also be issued to individual family members on this basis. Non-medical card holders, and people with conditions not covered under the LTI, can use the drugs payment scheme. Under this scheme, no individual or family unit pays more than €78 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.

The provision of services to people with autism and intellectual, physical or sensory disabilities is one of the limited number of areas in which additional revenue funding has been provided by the Government in any Department over 2003 and 2004. In respect of services to persons with autism and intellectual disability, this revenue funding, amounting to €43 million up to the end of 2004, was specifically provided to meet costs associated with the provision of emergency residential placements, extra day services particularly for young adults leaving school and to enhance the health-related support services for children. This is very visible evidence of the Government's commitment in this area.

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