Dáil debates
Thursday, 13 February 2014
Other Questions
Services for People with Disabilities
10:10 am
Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source
This is good news but unfortunately the issue does not get much publicity or air time. I share the Deputy's concern about issues in recent years relating to the provision of day services and training places to young people with disabilities leaving school. For that reason, I asked the Health Service Executive to put new structures in place to ensure available places are identified as early as possible and a more effective communications process is put in place with young people and their families. The placement of 850 school leavers and 482 rehabilitative or life-skills training graduates last year, within limited resources, was a significant achievement by the HSE and the service providers. My colleague, the Minister for Health, advised the HSE that priority was to be given in the 2014 national service plan to the provision of new services for school leavers requiring specific supports. Accordingly, an additional €7 million has been earmarked to address priority needs for new places for school leavers and for those graduating from rehabilitative or life-skills training.
The HSE established a national oversight group in October last year that includes umbrella organisations representing disability agencies.
The group identified the need for a new centralised regional application process and arrangements for implementing the new process are in train. The HSE is liaising with disability agencies and the National Council for Special Education to supply the necessary information on this process to families. The deadline for applications was 1 February, however, some flexibility will be give as the application process is in its first year. Supports required for each individual will be identified and agreed and a communications process with all stakeholders will be put in place by the end of March. Young people and their parents will be advised by the end of June 2014 of the placement which will be available to them.
We made the argument this happens every year and should come as no surprise so we needed to plan for it, which is exactly what we did.
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