Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----I will appreciate any help. Last year, I went in looking for an extra €100 million and I ended up with €92 million. Some people would say that is not bad going in negotiations. That was in respect of the social care plan. Senator Dolan is correct, however, and Deputy Jack Chambers mentioned this as well. We can talk about resources but we have to make sure that the resources are delivered to the person with the disability. That is an issue and I will put up my hands and accept that.

The Senator also talked about employment issues. The NDA works closely with the HSE to strategically forecast funding needs. The comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities, for the first three years - the foundation stage - features collaboration with different employers and the implementation of make work pay actions and Departments are working together to set up a national programme to support employment. There is a broader view on the issue of work.

The Senator also touched on personal assistants, and that is something I have learned about from a recent meeting with the DFI. We can put €10 million into respite care, which is an issue that has to be solved, and we can put €31 million into school leavers but a substantial section of the disability community feels we need to increase personal assistant hours to enable people to live independent lives in line with the UN convention. I accept that argument and it is on my shopping list for the Estimates debate.

Another issue the Senator touched on was that of value for money. That is something we have to see from the viewpoint of a person with a disability. Parents regularly come to me saying they have heard that the funding for their daughter in an adult service is between €80,000 and €150,000 a year and they do not feel they are getting value for money. That has to be listened to, that is my job and that is one of the reasons we looked at a personalised budget. It will be given as an option and I do not say will work for everybody - but it is an option. I know from my own experience and from talking to people with disabilities that usually between 8% and 12% of the population are interested in that. They have to have value for money.

I will address the issue of people with a disability living longer. There is a huge increase in the population. People with health issues are living longer due to new medicines and so on. I remember being told 25 years ago that when a person has a daughter with a disability, God knows how long she will live. It might be into her 30s. Going around the country now I meet adults with intellectual disabilities in their 50s and 60s, which is great.

As the Chairman knows, I have been to his county. When we are talking about congregated settings, the examples in Monaghan are fantastic. They are smaller houses in which four or five people live with support staff funded by the State. It is very progressive. We have learned from that. Do we have more a lot more to do? Absolutely. There are more than 2,500 people in congregated settings. My job is to try to get them out. We are trying to provide funding to get another 170 out this year. We need to ensure that is progressed. As a Minister of State, one has competing needs. Different issues come at one. If I thought for a second that I could deal with all those issues in 2019 with the €200 million, I would absolutely do so. The Chairman can take it that I will be pushing for the maximum resources for my colleagues both in the Department of Health and in the Department of Justice and Equality in the negotiations.

The other question Senator Nolan posed is very important. The budget absolutely has to be cross-departmental in nature. If one is talking about equality, that has to be ensured. I agree with that principle but we have to ensure that every single Department understands it. We have made progress. We have managed to change the mindset. One of the reasons we included a Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities in the programme for Government was to start the change of mindset of Government, of the Cabinet and across society more broadly. I agree that we have to have cross-budgetary action in respect of budget 2019. We have to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind in the broader debate. I know there are competing interests. From talking to him, I know that the Minister, Deputy Harris, is under pressure in the context of hospital issues, staff issues, accident and emergency departments, beds, etc. We also have the issue of housing. There are competing needs in the budget. My job is to try to push for the maximum supports for all people with disabilities. I give a commitment to the committee that I will do my best on these issues.