Dr. Kathleen MacLellan:

A significant priority for the Department of Health and the HSE is that those with a disability have a good transition, it is planned for and individuals have opportunities to become a meaningful part of their communities. When we started in 2009, we had 4,000 people in congregated settings. The latest figures, which come from the end of March, show the number to be 2,087. That is a reduction of almost 50%. In the early years, we probably underestimated the length of preparation it would take to support someone in transitioning properly. We are learning from the service reform fund, SRF, review and the National Disability Authority, NDA, review the importance of early communication. It can take a year or even longer to support someone to make the decision to move, how to move and where to move to and to determine the kinds of support that will be needed. We have utilised that learning to try to accelerate and enhance movement from congregated settings. We are almost at a 50% level of reduction since we started ten years ago. This means that we must focus on how to accelerate and move forward. We have committed to moving 160 people from congregated settings in 2019.

For those with disabilities, capital assistance scheme, CAS, funding is accessed through housing agencies and local service providers as opposed to the general CAS funding. It is a separate process.

We have been working closely and building strong relationships with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. As outlined by my colleague, we are part of a dedicated housing subgroup under the governance of that Department. It comprises representatives from the Departments of Housing, Planning and Local Government and Health, the HSE, local authorities, the Irish Council for Social Housing and various disability representative organisations. It provides a strong fora across agencies for identifying issues and difficulties and how we might work through them in the long term.

Many of those transitioning from congregated settings are of an older age, for example, in their 70s, and have lived for a long time in those settings. It is important that we get the transition right. We are keen for everything that we learn from the NDA and the pre and post interviews to be put right back into the system. I ensure the committee that that is happening. The key pieces around communication and planning are at the centre of what the HSE is utilising in order to deliver its decongregation programme.