Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the report that has been prepared on the provision of funding for voluntary agencies by a person (details supplied) has been furnished to her Department; the reason for the delay in the publishing of the report and when she intends to publish same [46182/10]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The work of the Steering Group on a Value for Money and Policy Review of the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Disability Services in Ireland chaired by Mr Laurence Crowley, is still in progress.

Substantial progress has been made on the Review:

A public consultation process was undertaken in late 2009 and attracted almost 200 responses from a wide variety of respondents including service users, family members and service providers. A detailed report on the findings of this process was published on the Department's website on 3rd December 2010.

In order to inform the work of the VFM Review, an Expert Reference Group (ERG) was established to review current policy on disability services. The work of that Group has been completed and on 3rd December last I also published the key proposals emerging from the work of the ERG for consideration and discussion. It is expected that a formal public consultation on the full report of the ERG will take place in the first half of 2011.

The National Disability Authority (NDA), at the request of the ERG, conducted 15 focus group consultations with people with disabilities, their families, advocates and frontline service providers in March 2010 to inform its advice to the Review. The report of that consultation has been published on the NDA's website, as too has a detailed Advice Paper prepared by the NDA incorporating the results of the consultation together with other relevant research conducted on behalf of the VFM Steering Group.

While substantial progress has been made on the Review some slippage has occurred in terms of the expected completion date because of the breadth and complexities of the services under examination. Difficulties were also experienced earlier this year in accessing data essential to the progress of the Review due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive. I expect the Value for Money Steering Group to conclude its work by the second quarter of 2011 and to furnish its final report shortly thereafter.