Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. At the outset, I 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.

Since 2005, 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 the period 2005 to 2008 provided the following for the intellectual disability services: 804 new residential places; 307 new respite places; and 1,863 new day places. In terms of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities, 275 new residential places and 911,626 extra home care-personal assistance hours have been provided for. In addition, in the same period, 195 day places have had their services enhanced with the provision of additional supports to provide for school leavers or other adults with significant disabilities. Some 406 places in the intellectual disability residential service have been enhanced, 61 respite places have been enhanced while 43 residential places in the physical and sensory disability services have been enhanced.

Due to the current economic situation, it has not been possible to provide significant levels of development funding for additional services in 2009. However, the HSE and voluntary disability service providers are working together to ensure that the existing resources available for specialist disability services are used in the most effective manner possible. The common aim is to ensure that the needs of as many individuals as possible are catered for within the resources available. Both the voluntary sector and the HSE are committed to the best use of available resources in a creative and flexible manner to be as responsive as possible to the needs that present.

With regard to the six individuals concerned, I understand from the HSE that they completed their rehabilitative training in February. This training has been extended until the end of September of this year. At that point, additional funding will be available for the provision of day places generally and their position will be reviewed in that context. The HSE and the Department of Health and Children will monitor the situation to ensure that, as far as possible, the needs of each young person with a disability leaving school or rehabilitative training in 2009 will be addressed.

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