Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
507. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if mechanisms are in place to ensure that costs for services within residential and respite care facilities for children and adults with disabilities are standardised across the sector, so that costs to the Health Service Executive for services do not vary wildly from facility to facility or year to year. [14218/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra509. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied that outsourcing care for persons with disabilities to private health care providers is the most effective way to ensure high quality care for those persons. [14220/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra510. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health his views on concerns that an over-reliance on private residential and respite care facilities for persons with disabilities has led to disparities in the availability of these services in different regions, such that some regions are under-served. [14221/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 507, 509 and 510 together.
Respite care for children and adults with disabilities is provided by the HSE directly in some instances, or by agencies funded by the HSE to provide services on its behalf. In many instances respite services are part of the overall suite of services provided by voluntary service providers to people with disabilities under their service level agreements with the HSE. The HSE remains committed to working with all voluntary disability service providers to ensure that all of the resources available for specialist disability services, including respite services, are used in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
The HSE’s Social Care Operational Plan for 2015 aims to provide 190,000 overnight stays in centre-based respite services to almost 5,300 people. The HSE is also committed to continuing to explore methods of community respite care as an alternative to centre-based respite care, including advancing the Host Family Support Model.
Agencies which provide centre-based respite care are subject to inspection by HIQA under the Health Act 2007 (Care and Support of Residents in Designated Centres for Persons (Children And Adults) With Disabilities) Regulations 2013, Health Act 2007 (Registration of Designated Centres for Persons (Children and Adults) with Disabilities) Regulations 2013 and the National Standards for Residential Services for Children and Adults with Disabilities.
Compliance with HIQA standards is a requirement under the Service Level Arrangements (SLA) between the HSE and voluntary service providers in the disability sector, including providers of respite services. The introduction of registration and inspection represents a significant advance in terms of delivering consistent and high quality services for people with disabilities in centre-based respite services.
In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service issues, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.
