Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 July 2022
118. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the role his Department has in ensuring the HSE are delivering services for children with disabilities. [36770/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware the Government Decision on the 22nd of December 2020 confirmed the transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services (SCBDS) from the Department of Health to my Department. This is a very significant transfer of functions, both from the point of view of improving services for persons with a disability but also from the perspective the Department of Health and this Department. It involves over €2.3 billion of funding and has significant implications for the HSE.
Following significant engagement between my Department, the Department of Health (DoH) and the Attorney General’s Office, an overarching legislative framework was agreed and submitted to Government on 10th December 2021, to put in place the necessary arrangements to facilitate the HSE to report to two Ministers for different elements of its functions and provide for revised corporate governance and accountability arrangements of the HSE.
The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, was subsequently signed by the President on the 12th of April 2022. My officials are now actively engaging with their counterparts in the Department of Health to facilitate this transfer.
