Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. I have some knowledge of this service because it is not far from my area. I am based almost as close to the centre as the two Deputies and I know people from my own constituency are using it. I will refer the points made by the Deputies to the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath. I will ask that he meets the Deputies outside the Chamber to try to progress the issue.

I am pleased to outline the position on services for young people with disabilities who need continuing supports from the health services. The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide them with greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs.

The HSE disability services engage in a detailed and person-centred process with a wide range of agencies every year to identify the most appropriate service provider and quantum of service to meet the individual needs of each school leaver. This process takes place over a number of months and is led by the needs of each individual school leaver. In addition, the HSE disability services also engage with individual school leavers' families to listen to any concerns they may have regarding the process and work with both families and agencies to seek an appropriate placement for the school leaver.

Some 291 applications were submitted to the Cork Kerry community health care disability services under the 2017 school leavers process, including four from Nano Nagle school in Listowel.

A placement was offered to each and every one of these applicants. However, 57 deferred their placement, chose another option or the individuals remained in school for another year.

Notwithstanding that, the Cork and Kerry community health care organisation, CHO, acknowledges that there are some shortcomings in the school leaver process. In order to enhance the process, the CHO has approved the recruitment of two occupational guidance officers. These additional resources will support enhanced delivery of the school leaver process for 2018 and thereafter.

The Minister of State acknowledges that there are still a number of deficits in the school leaver process that are common to all parts of the country. The available funding does not provide for access to multidisciplinary team support and access to transport to and from placements for day service users. Local HSE disability services management, not only in Cork and Kerry, but in other counties as well, continues to work at local and national levels to address these deficits. The HSE will continue to engage with the service users, their families, service providers, national HSE management and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in this regard.

On behalf of the Minister of State, I wish to inform the House that the assessment of needs for each individual school leaver who will require a day service in 2018 has already commenced and a validation exercise will be undertaken by the national office in terms of profiling in the first quarter of 2018. If it would be of any assistance, I could ask my office to engage with the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, and suggest that he sit down with Deputies Ferris and Brassil, together with the other Oireachtas Members from County Kerry, whom I am sure have an interest in this matter as well, as soon as he is available to discuss the issues that have been raised tonight regarding the Nano Nagle school, which affect north Kerry and a cohort of people in west Limerick.

See this speech in context