Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

On behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, I thank the Deputy for raising the matter and giving me the opportunity to outline the position concerning this issue.

The enhancement of the level of support available to people with disability and their families has been and continues to be one of the priorities of the Government. I am very pleased that both this Government and the previous Government were in a position to make a significant investment in these services in recent years. Since 1997, additional funding amounting to €643 million has been invested in health funded support services for people with intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities and those with autism. Of this funding €400 million was allocated to services for persons with intellectual disability and those with autism. The area of services for people with intellectual, physical or sensory disabilities and those with autism is one of the limited number of areas in which additional revenue funding has been provided by the Government in 2003 and 2004.

Regarding the matter raised by the Deputy, the Health Service Executive, mid-west area, is developing new early intervention services across the mid west, including County Clare. These services are based on international best practice and are designed to provide appropriate disability related therapeutic interventions to all children with developmental delay. This initiative is fully supported by partnership agencies of the HSE in Clare, namely, Enable Ireland and Brothers of Charity Services.

Children who require special supports to enable them to attend pre-school in their local areas will be provided with trained pre-school assistants, supported by a clinical multi-disciplinary team that will be involved in the development of individual development plans. The intended impact of this service is to identify special needs in children at the earliest possible age and intervene with specialist supports as early as possible in an effort to minimise the impact of disability or overcome areas of delay before they become exacerbated due to lack of appropriate intervention. The support into pre-school settings also attempts to address the issue of social inclusion for children with disability.

I have been informed by the Health Service Executive that St. Michael's pre-school is run under the auspices of the Clare Federation of the Mentally Handicapped. It is supported by a financial grant from the HSE. Any decision to close the pre-school is a matter for the federation. The HSE grant is secure for the pre-school if it wishes to remain open. All parents who have children in the pre-school have been advised by the HSE that its service will be maintained at current levels until their children start school. A Clare Federation representative is a member of the partnership group that manages the new service development, and meetings or discussions with parents of children at the pre-school have taken place. A further meeting has been arranged to again reassure parents that their service can be maintained if they choose not to opt for the new provision.

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