Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I thank the Acting Chairman and with his permission I will share time with Deputy Kathleen Lynch. I welcome the presence of the Minister of State, Deputy John Moloney, again in the House tonight. As Deputy Shatter said, we need more clarity on this issue. I welcome the statement last night from the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney regarding an expected resolution to this matter within ten days. I also welcome the statement from the Taoiseach this morning in response to questions from my party leader, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, on the same matter. However, we need to know for definite if this will happen.

I am also aware of people leaving school with intellectual disability and autism in Limerick, Cork and Dublin. I am sure the same applies to other parts of the country. Such people have absolutely no certainty about what will happen, which is simply unacceptable, especially when €50 million additional funding for disability services was allocated this year. In a reply to a question which I received yesterday, the Minister for Health and Children said that the HSE has informed the Department that it plans to release €20 million of the €50 million additional funding for disability services. We need clarity that there is €50 million allocated and not €20 million. We need to be told that this €50 million will be ring-fenced for the purposes for which it was designated. We do not want to see a recurrence of what previously happened to mental health, palliative care and some disability funding which was not spent on the services for which it was allocated.

There are currently people with physical disabilities in acute hospitals ready for release if the appropriate supports are available. These people are occupying acute beds for a much longer period than necessary, because the supports are not in the community as a result of this money not being released. I will name an individual, whose name has already been in the media and I have permission to do so. Mr. Ted Kennedy is currently in an acute bed in Beaumount Hospital in Dublin. He has been there for two and a half months longer than necessary. He was ready for discharge approximately two and a half months ago. He cannot leave because he does not have the support he needs at home. He cannot go back to his job because he does not have the supports there. He is in danger of losing his job and accommodation because of loss of income, which makes no sense. He is in an acute bed which should be available for someone else. He wants to get back to his home and job but he cannot because the supports do not exist. This is another aspect of the difficulties and we need clarity from the Minister of State.

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