Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

As the Minister of State well knows, St. Michael's House, an organisation based in Dublin 9, is the largest provider of intellectual disability services in Dublin and the third largest provider of services on a national basis. Some 80% of St. Michael's House's services are on Dublin's northern side in the HSE north-east region and the remaining 20% are on the southern side in the HSE Dublin mid-Leinster region. Day services are provided on average to 1,616 citizens per day and residential services, with dedicated full-time care, are provided for 450 citizens in homes across the north side.

Although there are 114 additional people receiving day services and 44 additional people in St. Michael's House residential services than in 2008, the organisation has suffered swinging cuts to its budget over the past four years. In addition, it has lost 104 staff members who cannot be replaced due to the moratorium in recruitment in the public sector.

Over 2009, 2010 and 2011, St. Michael's House funding has been cut by €8.7 million in total. The 1.8% cutback imposed on St. Michael's House in 2011 has left the organisation at the absolute pin of its collar. Through the incredible work and sacrifices of the dedicated St. Michael's House staff, led by the CEO, Ms. Patricia Doherty, the organisation has managed to maintain and expand its services over the past four years. However, any further significant cuts would devastate the organisation and would mean the closure of critical day and residential services. This is at a time when the services provided by St. Michael's House have never been more necessary.

At a recent briefing that I and a number of other Deputies received in Dáil Éireann from CEO Ms Patricia Doherty and her deputy, Mr. David Kenefick, Ms Doherty reported that St. Michael's House has the longest waiting list for residential care in the country. For example, there are currently 240 parents over 70 years of age caring for their son or daughter at home. St. Michael's House reports that 147 of these families are in serious difficulty. There are 263 parents from 61 to 70, 283 from 51 to 60, and 410 from 41 to 50 whose children use St. Michael's House day services but who more than likely will eventually need residential care support.

The Minister of State will agree that St. Michael's House has performed the extraordinary feat of keeping services going under immense budgetary pressure due to the commitment of its whole team of staff to a programme of streamlining the organisation as much as possible and to keeping costs at an absolute minimum across the board. There is very good flexibility in all areas of the operation. I understand that St. Michael's House was the first health care organisation to sign a comprehensive agreement under the Croke Park agreement, which has resulted in enhanced flexibility across the organisation and a significant reduction in absenteeism, to just over 3%. St. Michael's House understands that, in the Department of Health's current value-for-money cost-per-client group review of intellectual disability services, it is below the national average on costs and value for money across the board. The Minister of State will probably confirm that.

St. Michael's House's staff greatly fear that a cut greater than last year's cut of 1.8% will be imposed in budget 2012. I understand there are suggestions from the HSE that the budget for mental health and intellectual disability services may be cut by up to 4% or 5%, which would devastate organisations such as St. Michael's House. I hope the Minister of State will, on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, be able to provide some reassurance to the St. Michael's House community and its magnificent workforce that no cuts will be imposed on the organisation under budget 2012.

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