Services for People with Disabilities

Tuesday, 18 September 2012

Ceisteanna (1861)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

1861. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that he has succeeded in ensuring that persons with disabilities can be assured of the availability of personal assistance in the future, having particular regard to the recent announcements which caused great anxiety and stress to people with disabilities; if he will ensure that such matters will not arise in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39307/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I wish to assure the Deputy, that in the context of the recent coverage of the current financial challenges facing the Health Service Executive (HSE), my colleague, the Minister for Health, Mr. James Reilly T.D., has instructed the HSE to continue to provide services to people in receipt of personal assistant services in accordance with their needs. While savings have to be achieved out of the total disability budget of €1.4 billion per annum, the HSE has been requested to distribute adjustments across the sector, with a focus on cutting administration, training and travel costs and better cash management. The Minister has also asked the HSE to work with the non-statutory agencies to minimise the impact on services within the disability sector and to report regularly to the Minister on these measures. The application of these measures will be reviewed regularly to ensure that they are being applied as fairly and as sympathetically as possible.