John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I will come to that. It is also important to make the point that not alone is the Government supporting it in words, it has committed to a disability strategy based on the possible effects of the recession. This has been accepted by the disability groups, most of whom I have met.

On the funding, while we could not support fully the EPSEN Act fully last year, some €10 million was put specifically into services for people with disabilities. It was ring-fenced and provided 125 therapists. The figure being spoken about by the Deputy is in excess of €800 million. The requirements under the Disability Act are being met.

With regard to the delay in providing the funding figures to the Deputy, it is a very busy Department that stretches across 633 groups in the disability sector. There is no device to withhold information and there is the matter of pulling that information together from the many sectors involved.

See this speech in context