Services for People with Disabilities.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2006

Wednesday, 22 February 2006

Ceisteanna (167)

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

200 Mr. Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason, in view of commitments to the Irish Wheelchair Association among others, the process of core funding for community employment positions, currently supporting personal and social services for people with disabilities has not been put in place along the lines of the submission made by the Irish Wheelchair Association to her Department in October 2005, and in particular the context where there is a significant reliance on community employment schemes for basic and essential services to be provided to people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7353/06]

Freagraí scríofa

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

In the Estimates for 2006, significant additional funding totalling €100 million has been included for the improvement of health services for people with disabilities.

As part of this provision, funding of €10 million has been made available to address core underfunding and core staffing issues in services provided by the non-statutory sector. The Health Service Executive has been asked to allocate this funding on an equitable basis, having regard to the needs of people with disabilities. I expect that the executive's consideration of these needs will take into account any urgent case for funding of necessary services which may be made by the Irish Wheelchair Association.