John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Within ten days, the HSE will be in a position to do this. I understand the Deputies' specific questions regarding adult day training for students at St Gabriel's, Cork, and St. Vincent's, Lisnagry, are being considered by HSE in the context of its funding priorities for 2008.

I also wish to inform the House of some developments in areas related to the issues raised by Deputies Creed and O'Donnell. As for services for adults with a disability, the HSE is in the process of undertaking a comprehensive national review of HSE-funded adult day services. This review will seek to advise on the reconfiguration and modernisation of existing adult day services to reflect the core principles of the health strategy, namely, access, quality, accountability and person centredness. The review includes, as part of its work, examining and reviewing the range of day services such as activation, rehabilitative training and sheltered work.

To date the strategic review of HSE-funded adult day services has consulted widely with service users, families and service providers and is about to engage in discussions with all parties to the sectoral plans, including the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Social and Family Affairs. A census of HSE-funded adult day services has been completed and the findings will help inform decision making in this process.

As a further significant development in support of the national disability strategy, the Office for Disability and Mental Health was established by the Government in January this year. The office brings together responsibility for different policy areas and a range of services which have an impact on the lives of people with a disability and people with mental health difficulties. The main focus of the office is to improve co-ordination and communication across Departments and agencies in the delivery of disability and mental health services.

I have been appointed Minister of State with responsibility for equality, disability and mental health and my objective is to move the disability agenda to a level which compares with the best in the world. We should do so in partnership with all stakeholders.

I agree the difficulty may have been due to the delayed announcement. However, I emphasise that people should be there to guarantee that whatever funding is allocated to the disability sector will remain intact.

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