Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach
Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 7 - Office of the Minister for Finance (Revised)
Vote 8 - Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Revised)
Vote 9 - Office of the Revenue Commissioners (Revised)
Vote 10 - Tax Appeals Commission (Revised)
Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source
Is the Minister suggesting that it is Department of Health that was the block on the review? There are people who have disabilities out there who cannot get the support that they are entitled to. Families went to the Supreme Court to ensure that they are entitled to this. They cannot get the support. This is hugely important, as I am sure the Minister understands, for the independence and the support of individuals with disabilities. Is this just a systems problem?
The Minister promised a review a year ago. No review happened in 2021. The board told the Minister that they were extremely frustrated with the progress. Obviously, the Minister did not do anything between then and October to satisfy their view that nothing was going to happen. Then they resigned en masse. This means that there is no service for individuals who want to make an appeal. These are individuals with disabilities.
I think this is a fair question to ask on behalf of all of those individuals. Where does the buck stop here? It appears to me that the Minister has passed the buck to the Department of Health.
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