Mr. John Hannigan:

The question addressed to me was from Senator van Turnhout and concerned children leaving school and becoming adults, why there is a difference and why some are in limbo. There are statutory provisions and protection for children up to the age of 18. Once they hit 18 years of age, all of that falls away and all funding and support they receive at that point falls away. There is a requirement to separate children and adult services and, as a result, there is constant negotiation between the HSE and providers of care to provide support for those individuals. I support the idea of money following the individual. That would ensure the continuum of care would be there for individuals. The individuals we support are those who work across all elements of services here. It is most important to try to keep people in the community as long as possible, which has been Government policy for quite a period. We support that, but at this point it is more difficult to do that because the requirements are to ensure they are kept safe. For statutory bodies, keeping them safe means keeping them in an institution. There is clear evidence that it is cheaper for the State, better for the individual from the perspective of mental health and better from the primary health perspective to remain at home and to be supported at home. As well as improving the carer's allowance and respite allowances for people living in their own homes, members must continue to advocate for that.