Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will ask a few questions now as I can see the Minister is on his feet in the Dáil and we may have a vote shortly.

Mr. O'Regan mentioned a 2011 report on decongregation. Is there a co-ordinated strategy or plan for decongregation, which is a major Government policy platform?

When the parent or parents of persons with disability pass on, they find themselves in an emergency. Is there a co-ordinator or one-stop shop that can help in such circumstances?

Some months ago, when the service providers and organisations were before the committee, they referred to capital assistance scheme, CAS, funding. This funding mechanism was widely used 15 or 20 years ago by section 38 and 39 organisations to provide capacity and facilities. The section 39 organisations now find it hugely difficult to navigate the CAS programme. Why is that the case? We see that there is an envelope of funding but it is not being used to provide facilities or capacity for people with disabilities.

In the 1990s and early noughties, many of the service providers developed into housing bodies and used the CAS mechanism to build up capacity. Some of the organisations that span two or three local authorities have told us they find it easier to access funding from one local authority than from others. For example, one local authority will buy a property for them, whereas the other local authorities will not be proactive. That goes back to the universality of the programme being implemented by local authorities, in the first instance.

The HSE has a veto on the drawing down of funding from the CAS programme from local authorities to provide housing for people with disabilities. I am talking about residential housing, decongregation and getting houses within communities to be used to provide residences for people in need. Is there a strategy for exiting decongregation?

Is there a specific one-stop shop when there is a crisis?

You might be able to answer a question on CAS funding for 2023. If you do not have the figures for that year, then you might have them for 2022. Was any CAS funding that was allocated returned to the Exchequer at the end of 2022? If that is the case, it is a crying shame in the context of the capacity of our disability services. We know the unmet needs that exist on a daily and weekly basis.

I would like to pick up on the questions asked by Senator McGreehan. What urgency is given to providing housing or facilities for people with disabilities? We spoke specifically about the CAS programme and the frustration it is causing for charities and service providers. Why can we not have something like we had 15 or 16 years ago when it was relatively easy to access CAS funding rather than, dare I say it, the procrastination that exists at present? People trying to provide capacity are having difficulties with the system, which is a ready-made source of funding.

We will start with the HSE and then come to the local authorities.