Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 11 November 2020

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters

National Disability Inclusion Strategy: Discussion (Resumed)

Dr. Aideen Hartney:

I thank the Senator for those questions and areas of focus. We agree that the Mental Health Act is overdue for reform. Our understanding is that heads of Bill are currently under review, so hopefully that process will accelerate. There are a number of actions related to mental health committed to in the national disability inclusion strategy. To date, the NDA has found that reporting on progress has not been as detailed as might be hoped. We have suggested that it might be useful to have a thematic meeting of the national disability inclusion strategy steering group chaired by the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, so that there can be more detailed interrogation of those actions and progress on them.

There are some amendments to the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act working their way through the system.

The NDA has developed codes of practice to facilitate the implementation of the legislation and we have transferred those draft codes to the director of the decision support service. Again, it is about offering practical guidance to all sectors and groups that might be impacted by the legislation. We understand the codes will be issued for public consultation shortly. We very much look forward to progress in that regard.

Senator Higgins mentioned the review we are carrying out on the costs and benefits of new models of service in terms of moving away from complicated settings. Our research is focusing on units of four or less, as per the policy Time to Move on from Congregated Settings. We are aware and accept that there are settings that are not in line with that policy and that have between five and nine persons but we have examined the transformative effect of a move to the community. The research will be published by the end of the year. It is pointing to very positive outcomes for people with disabilities when they are moved out of a congregated setting and supported within the community. The HSE, which is implementing the policy, agrees with our research finding pointing to a continuum of change. It is hoped that if people now moving into homes with three or four are supported and capacity is built over time, bearing in mind that many people have been in settings for decades, those people will in a few years reach a point where they could move to living independently in the community in a unit for one person or more, if that is what they choose.

Universal design is an important aspect of public procurement. It is a concept in respect of which we promote and advise at all times to see it come through.

That was only a whistle-stop tour of some of the areas on which the Senator touched but I would be more than happy to go into the detail or engaged further in that respect.

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