Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The point on the transfer of functions is important. The functions will come over in two phases. The first is the transfer from the Department of Justice and Equality. I had hoped the delegation would be before today's Cabinet meeting but I expect it at next week's Cabinet meeting, with an official date of the transfer of function the following week. I am aware I have said that for two weeks, but it is imminent. The Deputy has asked for the budget lines that are coming over so I will list them. They are C3, the Magdalen fund; D3, the National Disability Authority; D4, refugee migrant integration; D6, grants to national women's organisations; D7, national Traveller and Roma strategy; D8, equality for women and girls; D9, equality and LGBTI+ initiatives; D10, decision support services; E3, asylum migration and integration fund; and E5, international protection seekers' accommodation. It is an extensive budget of about €147 million in 2019. I might get a scribbled note correcting that figure, but it is around that.

As the members know, the programme for Government contains significant commitments in some of those areas, particularly the area of direct provision and international protection. We look forward to expanding those budget lines in order that we can deliver on the White Paper that will be coming at the end of the year.

The second area I wish to refer to is the transfer of disability services from the Department of Health. This is taking time. Disability services are provided by the HSE, which will have to have a reporting relationship with my Department similar to its current relationship with the Department of Health. That will probably require primary legislation. Officials from my Department and the Department of Health have jointly put together a paper in the last several days outlining the various steps needed to progress this, both in terms of primary legislation and the staff numbers and resources that will need to be moved. A very extensive budget of about €2 billion will be moving from the Department of Health to my Department. This will take a long time, which will probably be the subject of criticism, but it is important to get it right. This is a major change. It is an initiative of this Government. It is important to note that the entire policy area of disability, not just disability among children, is moving from the Department of Health to my own. As the Deputy noted, certain areas of disability policy have previously been under the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality. We are reuniting those policy areas with disability service provision, heretofore a concern of the Department of Health. Both will operate under aegis of my Department. Do members wish me to discuss social workers specifically?