John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I am pleased to take this opportunity to address the issues raised by Deputy Stanton. At the outset, I would like to reaffirm the Government's steadfast commitment to people with disabilities in Ireland and to the national disability strategy and its long-term goals and objectives, which we will continue to pursue in the coming years in partnership with all the key stakeholders.

As Deputy Stanton will be aware, a range of training, health and personal social day services are provided by several State agencies, including the HSE, non-statutory agencies funded by the HSE, and specialist training providers funded by and on behalf of FÁS to young people with disabilities when they leave school. A national review of all health funded day services for people with disabilities is currently being completed. This review indicates that a total of 25,302 people with intellectual disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities, and-or long-term mental health difficulties attend day services either provided by the HSE or provided by non-statutory agencies funded by the HSE. These figures include a total of 2,178.05 day places in intellectual disability services comprising of 1,967.55 new places and 210.50 enhanced places funded under the multi annual investment programme 2005 to 2008.

With regard to the areas of training and, in particular, the provision of life skills training, otherwise referred to as rehabilitative training, the HSE and HSE-funded agencies provide such training services for persons with disabilities to enhance their individual level of skill, which will focus on the enhancement of an individual's care, fundamental skills, life skills and social skills. The level of outcome from rehabilitative training is not pre-determined but is dependent on the level of the development capacity of each individual. Consequently, it is important that training services are matched to the person's need. In meeting this need the HSE employs guidance officers at local level to assist in the profiling of young school leavers with disabilities to appropriate training and day services. The guidance officers work with the school leaver, their family, school authorities and service providers to ensure that school leavers with disabilities have access to appropriate services.

The co-ordination and planning of services to meet the needs of people with disabilities form a central tenet to the national disability strategy. A critical element of such co-ordination and planning is the requirement to provide financial support for the developments and implementation of services.

In recent years, the Government has provided significant additional resources for services and supports for effecting real change in the development of services for people with disabilities. The multi-annual investment programme, which was a key component of the Government's disability strategy, had by the end of 2008 provided for the intellectual disability services: 980 new residential places, 313 new respite places, and 2,505 new day places. In terms of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities, 300 new residential places and 950,000 extra home care-personal assistance hours have been provided for.

As part of the national disability strategy's multi-annual investment programme, the HSE has increased the number of day places for people with intellectual disability by almost 1,500 since 2005. In addition, nearly 150 day places have had their services enhanced with the provision of additional supports to allow the places deal with school leavers or other adults with significant disabilities.

The increase in new and enhanced health and personal social services in recent years has ensured that young people with intellectual disabilities have appropriate services in place to ensure a smooth transition from secondary school. In some cases, the funding provided supported the school leavers to access appropriate day services in line with a person centred plan. Due to the current economic situation, it has not been possible to provide development funding for additional services in 2009.

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