Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 8 July 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters

Resourcing of Personal Assistance Services: Discussion

Mr. Jonathan Angus:

The HSE cannot or will not tell us why they sometimes allow Fionn to pay work expenses out of his support budget and sometimes refuse. The non-programmatic costs of management, administration, insurance etc. for a personal assistance service must be financed in addition to the deliverables.

In England, which has decades of experience in providing person-directed services, people use their budgets to go to the gym, pay for a conference or cover lunch with a friend. Having a good life often involves a paid assistant but there are other ways to creatively support community involvement.