Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)

I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this topic and in particular I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to reply. She will be familiar with the issue, as she has responded to a previous Topical Issue question on the matter. Some 700 children with disabilities - some moderate and some profound and severe intellectual disabilities - in the education sector are about to turn 18. The issue is coming to the fore now because these children will no longer have access to those services next month. Great uncertainty is being created for the families and it is causing undue stress for them. What appears to be happening, and Deputy Walsh and Deputy Kyne are hearing this too, is a back and forth between the HSE and the service providers. The service providers say they simply do not have the funding to deal with the issue, cannot cope within existing resources and that they are being forced to do a job they cannot do. The HSE says there is a service plan in place and it must be implemented. The exact details therein are disputed between the two parties.

I have met, with other Deputies and separately, with the Brothers of Charity services in Galway. I have gone through the books with the Brothers of Charity and sat down with their chief financial officer and CEO to look at the cuts they are implementing this year and the cuts that were implemented over previous years. It is hard to see how they can cope with the increased demand if they take on these cases without extra resources. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be aware that in County Galway 44 people are leaving this month, eight of whom have severe to profound intellectual disabilities. The HSE and the service providers must come up with a solution quickly and I ask the Minister of State to intervene on the matter.

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