Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

The demand for day services, including rehabilitative training, for school leavers continues to grow. The HSE expects approximately 654 school leavers will require services in 2012. This year disability services are required to cater for demographic pressures such as new services for school leavers from within their existing budgets. In previous years demographic funding was provided to meet this need. The 2012 budgets have been reduced by 3.7% and the moratorium on staff recruitment gives rise to additional challenges in service provision. In excess of 4,500 individuals avail of day services in Dublin-mid-Leinster. Nationally over 25,000 individuals take part in these day programmes, including almost 3,000 in rehabilitative training. Significant investment has been made in this area during the years, particularly in respect of young people leaving school. In Dublin-mid-Leinster 164 individuals will be leaving school in 2012 and a further 103 will complete rehabilitative training. Potential solutions have been identified for almost 80% of these individuals and considerable progress has been made.

It is not correct to claim that there will no longer be funding to support young adults leaving schools. However, current funding must be utilised to best effect. The HSE is working with all relevant service providers to maximise the use of available places. The HSE and disability service providers have agreed that families will be notified by 10 July if a place is available or if an individual is to be placed on a waiting list. Some funding will be made available through Genio and the outcome of these applications will be made known in the coming weeks. The HSE and disability service providers acknowledge that the waiting period is a difficult time for individuals and their families, but every effort is being made to achieve an equitable and sustainable outcome.

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