Ms Mo Flynn:

It is fair to say that section 39 organisations have not seen a similar increase in budget. The only increases we see are specific to service areas. An individual's care needs may have increased and we may have negotiated an increase in funding for that person. It is, therefore, very much related to particular services rather than the organisation as a whole. Perhaps during the year HIQA inspections identify increased service requirements. It is those we hope to get funded in the following year. In the years they occur we are expected to meet those costs ourselves. To give an example, as a result of a meeting with HIQA yesterday, we will probably have an additional cost of between €60,000 and €80,000 for just one service for three people. That is just one of 61 residential services I have and that additional cost arose in one day. These are continuous costs that increase but are not being met and have to be negotiated on a case by case basis each year. Provisions are made in the HSE budget for increased numbers of places or increased numbers of multidisciplinary services such as occupational therapy but while they may be seen as increasing within HSE delivered services, those rarely translate to those of us in section 39 agencies. We cannot avail of psychology services. We spend more than €250,000 each year buying in private psychology services to deliver to our service users because the HSE is unable to provide them through the public service for the individuals in question.