Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I was joking.

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. As Deputy Nolan correctly pointed out, I am acutely aware of the difficulties we face at this time which, as Deputy Kyne rightly said, is quite late in the day. I hope to deal with that in the supplementary remarks.

I am pleased to take this opportunity to outline, on behalf of the Minister for Health, the position relating to the matter raised by Deputies Kyne, Walsh and Nolan. I recognise the importance of life skills training and day services to people with disabilities who are leaving the education system and every effort is being made within available resources to provide services to all in 2012. Day services for adults with disabilities provide a network of support for more than 25,000 people who have a wide spectrum of need, ranging from those with severe and profound disabilities, who are likely to need long-term specialist service provision, to people with lower support needs and greater potential for community participation and inclusion. Organisations such as the Brothers of Charity play a vital part in providing these services and I acknowledge their contribution not just this year or last year but at a time when the State was not providing them.

The HSE, through its occupational guidance service, works with schools, service providers, service users and families to identify the needs of young people with disabilities who are due to complete their second level education. The aim is to address the needs of individuals in the following ways - health funded rehabilitative life skills training; health funded day services; FÁS funded vocational training; and, extension to education placement for a specified time.

Service providers and the HSE have come together under the auspices of the national consultative forum to identify how the needs of those individuals who require day services or rehabilitative training places in 2012 can be responded to within available resources. I have asked to be kept informed of progress on this issue on a weekly basis. The national consultative forum recognises that the key to ensuring that available resources for people with disabilities are used to best effect is through constructive collaboration between non-statutory providers and the HSE. The demand for services for school leavers continues to grow. The HSE expects that approximately 700 school leavers will require services in 2012, of which 135 are in HSE West.

Disability services will be required to cater for demographic pressures, such as new services for school leavers and emergency residential placements from within their existing budgets. The 2012 budgets have been reduced by 3.7% and the moratorium on staff recruitment gives rise to challenges in service provision. In addition, the physical capacity to provide further services may not be present in all agencies, and that is recognised. However, both the voluntary sector and the HSE are committed to the best use of available resources in a creative and flexible manner so as to be as responsive as possible to the needs of this cohort.

The emerging Department of Health policy direction, namely, the value for money and policy review, coupled with recommendations from HSE national working groups on key service areas, including the review of HSE-funded adult day services, emphasise the need for a new model of service provision that, if agreed by the Government, will further the independence of people with disabilities in a manner which is efficient and cost-effective. New Directions, the review of HSE-funded adult day services, was published on 29 February 2012 with a detailed implementation plan. A working group will be established this month under the auspices of the national consultative forum to ensure that implementation plan is progressed through a collaborative approach. I thank the Deputies and look forward to the questions that arise from this response.

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