John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Day services were enhanced through the provision of additional supports to deal with school leavers or other adults with significant disabilities. The supports include 52 places in 2006 and 66 places in 2007.

The increase in services in recent years has ensured that young people with intellectual disabilities and autism have appropriate services in place to ensure a smooth transition from secondary school. This is what we are tying to achieve this evening. In some cases, the funding provided supported school leavers to access appropriate day services in line with a person-centred plan. In many cases, this funding provided places for individuals completing rehabilitative training, thereby creating training places for other school leavers. The HSE and HSE-funded agencies also provide a range of other day services, designed to meet the needs of adults with disabilities.

The multi-annual investment programme for disability services makes provision for the development of additional day, residential and respite places each year between 2006 and 2009 for people with intellectual disability and autism. The €50 million to which the Deputy keeps referring was provided to the HSE in budget 2008 for additional services to people with disabilities, including 467 additional day places for people with intellectual disabilities. As the Deputies will be aware, the commencement of the planned developments in disability services this year was delayed due to a financial review in the HSE. This did not just concern the disability sector but pertained to the whole spectrum of health services.

I am more than pleased to inform the House that the HSE has assured me, following discussions all week, that it is now in a position to roll out the planned developments, as outlined in its 2008 service plan. It is not a case of the Government alone taking credit as all Deputies are involved in their capacity as representatives of people with disabilities. It was agreed that nobody would want to see the disability sector short-changed or funding reduced.

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