Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Tacaím le leasú Uimh. 98 a chuir an Teachta Stanton síos sa choiste.

I support these amendments, which place an onus on the Health Service Executive to identify under-resourced services for which there is a demand and to plan for the provision of those services in line with demand. That does not amount to ring-fencing resources for them but identifies the services required which are currently unavailable, resulting in unmet needs of the person assessed, with a view to making those services available.

These amendments place a specific onus on the executive to ensure that when a service is not available that does not continue to be the position but that there is a planned approach to ensure the service will be provided in the near future. My preference would be for strong ring-fencing provisions, supported by statistical analysis of needs.

I refer to the amendments I tabled, which would have the same effect as these amendments but which were ruled out of order because they were deemed to place a charge on the Exchequer. In my amendments I sought to ensure — which Deputy Stanton has also sought to ensure to a degree in the amendment he formulated — that the State would progressively take steps to bring about a full realisation of the right to services recommended to meet the needs of persons assessed. In respect of those services. the provision of which is not practicable at the time of writing of the service statements, I sought to ensure that a review of the service statement be carried out at regular intervals with a view to meeting the needs of the applicant over a reasonable period. We are reasonable in what we seek in these amendments but a restriction under Standing Orders prevents us from achieving what we seek in this regard.

Amendment No. 94 in my name was also ruled out of order. It states "Where services that are the subject of a statement issued under section 12 have not been provided to the individual concerned within a calendar year, the service provider shall issue the individual a new statement providing an updated estimate of waiting time for the access to the service.". That is a key requirement. It will ensure that those who have been assessed as having a need which is not met will have some inkling of when that service will be provided and their needs met, how long they will have to wait for that service and that the Health Service Executive, or whoever is the service provider, is taking their unmet need seriously. In that amendment, I went further by proposing that data on such unmet needs should be collected to establish the demand in terms of the unmet needs for each relevant service and a report should be compiled to ensure that not only the Health Service Executive, assessment officer or liaison officer notices that there is a service requirement but that statistical information and data is forwarded to the relevant Minister and Department.

In the case of this Bill, the data should be forwarded to the Minister for Finance so that he will be aware of the need to provide extra money to ensure that services, where there is a lack of funds, will be resourced in order that the failure to provide the services required does not continue to be the position ad nauseam. As other Ministers have done, the Minister of State will probably say there is no such thing as ring-fencing and that it cannot be done. The Government, in particular, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, has said there should be no ring-fencing and that it cannot be done. There are exceptions to that assertion by Ministers that the ring-fencing of funds is impossible and is not practical. Other examples have shown it is practical and possible. Funds should be ring-fenced to ensure this legislation has teeth. This amendment would ensure not only the services are identified but that they are made available thereafter.

I will give examples of ring-fencing of funding to pre-empt what the Minister of State might say. Some 52% of the dormant accounts fund is ring-fenced for allocation to the RAPID areas and the drugs task forces. National lottery moneys are ring-fenced for specific purposes such as funding of sporting and health activities. Money from motor taxation is ring-fenced for local authorities to defray costs. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has admitted that he agrees with the ring-fencing of money put into the court poor box. Last year I think the Minister for Finance managed to ring-fence €300 million for the horse and greyhound racing fund for the next four years. Where there is a will, there is a way in terms of ring-fencing money. I call on the Minister of State to go to the Minister for Finance when this Bill is passed to ensure moneys are ring-fenced so that the services required are made available and to ensure equality in service delivery.

While people with a disability and their families have welcomed funding commitments made in the national disability strategy and the budget for 2005, they are rightly suspicious that this is a political promise. They would prefer if the largesse were not discretionary and that it was ring-fenced to ensure the services are delivered at least at the current level but in the hope services required will continue to increase for those who have needs, are disabled, are looking to become full participants in society, have the right to independent living and wish to play an equal role to those of us who do not suffer a disability.

See this speech in context