Mr. John Dolan:

I thank the members for their questions and interest in the debate. Deputy Ó Caoláin asked two questions on the implementation plan and the national disability strategy, NDS. I shall add the question by Deputy Regina Doherty to them.

The national disability strategy has been in existence for the past six or seven years. There has always been an issue about adding an implementation element to it. The strategy is a Government plan and is not just for the Department of Health. It is potentially quite powerful because it can examine the determinants of health and the interconnection between health, social welfare, education, employment and factors like that. The problem is that we will not have it until January or February because it has been delayed three times this year and that is since the Government took over. The strategy will come after the next budget which may contain the same level cuts as last year, perhaps more. That is a big issue. The Croke Park agreement is also still in place. There has been talk about adjusting the Croke Park agreement and formulating a Croke Park II but that would be two budgets away. The strategy is also connected with public service reform but nobody has copped on to that. There is a broad disability strategy and there are strategies for carers and children. It is helpful if one can see that all of the strategies are interwoven.

During the last debate before the general election, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste were asked by Miriam O'Callaghan to identify one social justice priority. In a flash the Tánaiste said that it would be the disabled and the Taoiseach spoke eloquently about people with mental health needs. Unfortunately, they have not put their words into action.

Deputy Ó Caoláin asked about the decisions that have been taken, particularly the €10 million cut to the personal assistance service announced on 30 August. How could €10 million be saved from the €40 million budget for personal assistants with four months remaining in this year without closing down the service lock, stock and barrel? Like my colleague, Mr. John Dunne, I do not think anyone was trying to do that. At a senior level in the Department of Health and the HSE people had just carried out a value for money report on the disability programme. The big issue for people with a governance concern about health is why was such a consequence not spotted earlier. We very much welcome that the proposal has been withdrawn and that the cuts will be made somewhere else.

Deputy Healy raised a quality of life issue but I shall not spend time discussing it. Everyone has said, in different ways, that quality of life is about keeping people where they want to be, with their families, and providing support to people, often at a modest level, at an appropriate time and in an appropriate manner.

There was a question from Deputy Doherty about children in special schools. I do not have any evidence on that. We can talk to the Deputy later, or perhaps our colleagues who will speak later might have some idea.