Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

It has been decided that funding to People with Disabilities in Ireland must cease at the end of 2011. I would like to thank the members of PWDI and their staff for their efforts over the years, but in common with all aspects of Government spending, everything has to be examined with a view to preserving, so far as possible, front line services. On the basis of a value for money review, it has been clearly established that the vast majority of the money allocated to PWDI is being spent disproportionately. The largest proportion of PWDI's annual budget has been spent over the last number of years on the operation of its office headquarters and on administration, rather than on the creation of programmes and services which would directly benefit people with disabilities.

This was an untenable situation and could not be allowed to continue as people with disabilities were benefiting little from the allocation in real terms. However, there is no reason that the local People with Disabilities in Ireland, PwDI, networks throughout the country should not continue to be active as volunteer bodies or should continue their work with people with disabilities.

It is my wish to ensure that people with disabilities benefit directly from any money allocated to this sector. With this in mind, I am currently overseeing the finalisation of a major value for money and policy review of disability services in the Department of Health to ensure that existing funding allocated for people with disabilities is spent to best effect. I am also interested to hear what people with disabilities have to say on issues affecting them. I have established and I will chair a new national disability strategy implementation group to develop and progress disability strategy. The new group will include representatives from several disability stakeholder organisations and also several people with disabilities who will be able to bring their lived experience to bear directly on the important work of this high level group. This will ensure the voice and perspective of people with disabilities will continue to be heard in a more focused and cost-effective way.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The Government must ensure that in 2012 and continuing thereafter funding is allocated for maximum provision of services for people with disabilities, having regard to overall resource constraints which affect all sectors at this time. As can be seen from the following table, due to a general decline in network activity around the country, PwDI as an organisation was unable to spend its allocation in recent years. More than €1 million allocated to PwDI since 2007 has been returned to the Exchequer. Government funding for the years 2007 to September 2011, inclusive, is set out in the following table.

The Government must ensure that in 2012 and continuing thereafter funding is allocated for maximum provision of services for people with disabilities, having regard to overall resource constraints which affect all sectors at this time. As can be seen from the following table, due to a general decline in network activity around the country, PwDI as an organisation was unable to spend its allocation in recent years. More than €1 million allocated to PwDI since 2007 has been returned to the Exchequer. Government funding for the years 2007 to September 2011, inclusive, is set out in the following table.

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