Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
1138. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health the number of persons with disabilities who have been allocated a personal assistant to date; the number who have a personal assistant currently; and the length of the waiting list for persons with disabilities to achieve the funding necessary for a personal assistant in terms of numbers and time [26996/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra1139. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health his plans to invest the necessary funding to provide the number of personal assistants who are necessary to meet demand; the number of persons with disabilities who receive the funding for personal assistants directly; and the number who receive it through a third-party organisation. [26997/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1138 and 1139 together.
The Government is committed to providing services and supports to people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. The commitment is outlined in the Programme for a Partnership Government, which is guided by two principles, equality of opportunity and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is committed to protecting the level of Personal Assistant services available to people with disabilities. In their National Service Plan for 2016, the HSE exceeded the expected activity level for Personal Assistant hours which was 1.3 million hours, by approximately 200,000 hours. This reflects the responsive nature of the service provided and takes account of assessed need over time, as individual needs change. I understand that in 2017, the HSE expects to deliver 1.4 million Personal Assistance hours, an increase of 100,000 hours, to 2,357 adults with a physical and/or sensory disability.
As the Deputy's questions relate to a detailed service matter, I have arranged for the questions to be referred to the HSE for a more detailed direct reply to the Deputy.
