Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 February 2024
95. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his Department’s priorities for 2024 with regard to the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024–2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8384/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy next question is about the Minister of State's Department's priorities for 2024 regarding the action plan for disability Services 2024
The Government is committed to the expansion of specialist services for people with disabilities. The Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026, which was published on 14 December, represents a national strategy for capacity increases and service and policy reform in disability services. It is important to say that it is the first time we will have policy funding and reform all under the one Department where we are putting equal rights for people at the centre. It was informed by findings from the disability capacity review, published in 2021, in addition to cross-governmental input and an extensive public consultation.
The service areas for investment for 2024 under the action plan have been agreed through the budgetary process.
Specifically, €74 million has been allocated for new development measures that will provide greater investment across a range of disability services, mainly residential, for which more than €20 million will be allocated. There will also be €15 million for respite care, which in a full year will be €25 million; €18.2 million for day services, which is for approximately 1,250 school leavers; €8.5 million for the development of children's services, including 125 therapy assistants; and €11.9 million for the development 80,000 extra PA hours for further enhanced community neurological supports.
The precise level of delivery of services for people with disabilities, based on the funding in budget 2024, is set out in the HSE's service plan. The action plan contains further enabling actions designed to begin the necessary groundwork that will help position us to make further capacity increases in 2025, 2026 and beyond. These include actions on workforce, improved data and management systems, assessment of costs, stakeholder engagement and access to housing. In fact, for us to meet the disability action plan commitments, I need 320 houses. That is one part of it.
With regard to the challenges on the residential side, I will engage with the Minister for housing on how our Departments can work together to deliver the housing requirements to meet the targets in the plan.
I thank the Minister of State. That is a very comprehensive response, which I very much appreciate. As she will be aware, in March 2023, specialist disability services were transferred to her Department. The area that I want to focus on with regard to the disability action plan is early intervention, and in particular the assessment of need, staffing levels in general and the children's disability network teams, CDNTs, among other things. I note the ambition to hire 600 additional whole-time equivalent staff in this strategy for 2024 to 2026 to build capacity, in particular in the multidisciplinary teams. This is of course very welcome. However, we know - because we have spoken about this many times, I regret - that it is a challenge. Has the Minister of State a progress update, even though it is 29 February? Has there been any progress on that particular ambition in the plan?
I thank the Deputy, and it gives me the opportunity to set out here that we have put in place the workforce task force, which is really at a high level. It is not just our Department; it includes the Departments of Health, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and Social Protection, and it also includes jobs and recruitment. There is a wide span on it, and at all times we are looking at how we can increase capacity here and now, which is the assistant therapist course that the Minister, Deputy Harris has put in place. It is in our action plan that we will recruit 250 in the next two years but we cannot recruit them unless the courses are set out by the ETBs, which the Minister, Deputy Harris has put in place. We also need to have more masters programmes and additional spaces being created. That has been put in place, and I look forward to seeing some of this rolled out in September of next year. It is important to say that we have also seen that speech and language provision was increased by 120 additional posts.
There is a whole-of-government and whole-of-state approach here in increasing the workforce. The 500 applications that came in on the back of the Christmas campaign has been the best sign of light I have seen in a long time.
I am encouraged by that answer, and it is very good to hear. If I look at CAMHS in my constituency - and again, I appreciate the cross-departmental view but disability support is critical - our numbers are moving in the right direction. As the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman will be aware, Fingal, with the youngest, fastest-growing community in Ireland, has acute needs, and those needs are unfortunately stacking up. I welcome the news that there are up to 500 individuals who have applied. How quickly can those individuals be rolled out in the appropriate places with the appropriate expertise across the service provision?
I have one key issue that the Minister of State might address in her response. Does she have a view on supports for children going from supported education, for instance, from primary school into secondary school, where the supports do not necessarily follow? I am pleased she mentioned school leavers with regard to the strategy laid out in this plan. It is obviously of key importance to children as once they turn 18 and leave the education system, there tends to be a gap.
Absolutely. That school leaver piece is very important to me and the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. More than €18 million has been secured for it. Not only that but we are also looking at when the transition planning needs to start. I do not believe that the final year is the right year to do it. I have seen what has been done in Cumas in Wexford this year through the ability programme under the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. Four social workers were involved in it. It ensured that we started planning for the school leavers in transition year. There was a proper placement, and the family and the individual could be brought along. Sometimes day services do not need to be engaged and an alternative more suitable pathway can be found for them. That is the transition planning.
Regarding my views on education, normally where there are two Ministers involved, I will step aside and leave it to the two Ministers. The other question was about the Deputy's own area, CHO 9, which is the fastest growing area. I only met with Mellany McLoone and Olive Hanley on Tuesday and they have a plan on how best they can enable having them interviewed and out in the spaces by the start of May. They also have two residential houses to open.
