Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I very much welcome that the Minister of State will meet representatives of the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation. That would be a major step forward. I understand that while the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation on occasions works in co-operation with different sections in the HSE, its representatives have found it impossible to identify a person in charge who will sit down and talk to them about the national service it provides. I ask the Minister of State to communicate with me as to who they should contact in that regard and to encourage the HSE to engage in such discussions.

Does the Minister of State have the figure for the cost being incurred on an annualised basis by the HSE service to assist the parents of severely intellectually disabled children who are providing home care to them? I ask him to make the comparator public. What is needed is a coherent uniform service delivered by the most cost effective and well staffed service provider. The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation has an extraordinary imprimatur from all families to whom it provides assistance. I ask the Minister of State to consider a policy direction to the HSE to provide this service through the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation and to extend it to children aged between four and six.

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