David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I welcome the establishment of this office and the office for older people. We suggested it in our manifesto before the election so I am delighted that the Minister for Health and Children has taken it on board. She had also suggested it. Could the Minister of State outline the staffing and structure of this new office? If he does not have it now, he might send it to us later. What role will the office have in co-ordinating the important and valuable work done by the various voluntary bodies around the country with people with disabilities? For example, will it have a role in co-ordinating and tracking expenditure and ensuring services are delivered? What kind of reporting mechanism will the office have? Will it have a chief executive and what kind of staff will be in there? Is the office operational or is there a timescale for setting it up?

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