Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

It is being given. Second was the publication of the six sectoral plans that outline how Departments are to provide for the implementation of the provisions of the Disability Act. Third is the multi-annual investment programme that provides €900 million from 2006 to 2009, which was announced in the budget in 2005. The Act is underpinned by this multi-annual investment programme. It is building the additional capacity required to put in place the framework set out in the Disability Act. As part of the multi-annual investment programme under the disability strategy, the Government provided the Health Service Executive with an additional €75 million in both 2006 and 2007. This funding included moneys to provide new and enhanced services for people with disabilities, including those with autism, and to implement Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005, which came into effect on 1 June 2007 for children aged under five.

The Government is also honouring its promise on the multi-annual investment programme for people with disabilities, with a further €50 million investment which was announced in the 2008 budget. It is estimated that over €1.7 billion is spent on health and personal social services for people with disabilities.

I wish to give some information to the House on some of the services that this huge investment is providing. Currently, 8,800 people with a disability receive care in residential places. The national intellectual disability database annual report for 2007 stated that more people live in group homes within their communities than in residential centres. A total of 7,200 residential places provide respite care for people with a disability and approximately 30,000 people attend day services. The national intellectual disability database annual report for 2007 states that 97% of the people registered with the database are in receipt of a service.

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