Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who has done a great deal of commendable work in this area and is making progress in achieving her objectives. I am pleased to outline the position on services for adults with intellectual disabilities at St Michael's House, including those who need continuing supports from the health service on leaving school and those who avail of respite care services.

In 2014 St. Michael's House received HSE funding of more than €69 million to provide a range of community-based day, respite care and residential services for over 1,600 children and adults with an intellectual disability in some 170 centres in Dublin and County Meath. Additional funding of €12 million was announced in the HSE's service plan for 2015 to meet the full-year costs of providing for school leavers and those graduating from rehabilitative training programmes. Of this funding, €6 million is available in 2015 and being allocated to community health care organisation areas, in line with needs identified and according to the HSE's New Directions policy on day services for adults with a disability.

The HSE has confirmed that all young people and their families will be notified by the end of June of the placement that will be available to them from September. It is very aware of the challenges faced by some service providers and has been engaging locally and nationally with all providers, including St. Michael's House, which may not have the physical capacity within their existing services to accommodate the new intake of school leavers in 2015. In this context, €1.5 million in once-off capital funding is to be allocated by the HSE to organisations to provide suitable buildings, premises and accommodation. Applications have been invited from all service providers to avail of this funding and I understand St Michael's House has submitted estimates in this regard. These estimates will be forwarded to the national director for social care for consideration with other applications nationally. Capital allocations will be notified to providers by the end of June.

The HSE has informed the Department of Health that while there has been a reduction in residential overnight respite care capacity at St Michael's House, provision has been made for alternative respite care services such as break-aways and host family respite care to address the demand for residential respite care services.

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