Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Michael McGrath for raising this important issue. I am familiar with the issue of elderly parents looking after adults with intellectual disabilities. It is an issue to which we must all give priority.

The Government’s ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable people in the care of the health service. We are committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives.

As part of ongoing service provision, this year the HSE will provide over 8,300 residential places for families in need throughout the country. Residential services make up the largest part of the disability budget. Our policy on people with disabilities is to support them to achieve their full potential in order that, where possible, they can live ordinary lives in ordinary places doing ordinary things. The need for increased residential facilities is acknowledged and I fully accept the point made by the Deputy on the issue. The HSE will continue to work with agencies to explore various ways to respond to this need in line with the budget available. Residential placements for adults with disabilities are considered following detailed clinical assessment by HSE services. Access to places for those with the most complex needs is allocated on a priority basis and on the basis of the availability of appropriate services.

A significant underlying challenge relates to the unmet need for residential and respite care in services as a result of the absence of investment during the economic downturn. Part of the problem is the lack of investment in services for many years. The HSE national database figures indicate an annual requirement of 400 residential places per year to meet identified needs. That is the figure I have encountered as a Minister of State. What we are really talking about is the need for 400 extra and new residential places per year. The services are experiencing a high annual demand for emergency residential places and must respond to the most urgent cases on the waiting list.

This year the HSE disability budget is over €1.7 billion, an increase of €92 million on the figure for last year. We are particularly committed to providing a range of accessible respite supports for people with disabilities and their families. This year the HSE will provide over 182,000 respite care nights and 42,500 day respite care sessions for families in need throughout the country. We acknowledge the need for increased respite care services throughout the country. That is why we secured an additional €10 million to specifically enhance respite care services. This funding will provide extra facilities. We are also planning to provide a range of alternative respite care options for families.

This is the core issue in the debate. We need 400 new residential places every year to catch up and invest in the services. Last year in the region of 235 places were provided and a further 170 were taken out of institutional care services. The figure on which I will be focused in the coming weeks in negotiations on the Estimates is the need for 400 places. The Deputy mentioned 27 on a priority 1 waiting list for Cope Foundation services. I have come across this figure in St. Michael's House and other services. The ballpark figure for which I will be pushing is 400 new residential places.

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