Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It will be a busy year.

It is about how we better empower people with disabilities to make decisions about the allocation of funding that the State provides for them. I agree with Senator Dolan on this and Deputy Murphy O'Mahony is a strong advocate in this area. We must examine how we empower people. For far too long, the State has thought its relationship with the person with a disability begins and ends with the writing a cheque for a service provider. We cannot tolerate this. We have many excellent service providers but we need to empower our citizens. Personalised budgeting will provide this. We have received more than 2,600 submissions for the statutory home care scheme. The report on this will be out in early 2018. It is a large consultation. This is what happens when the committee invites me in at the end of the year. This will show the roadmap for a statutory care scheme. I will raise the Deputy's specific issue concerning the service provider in west Cork with HSE.