Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to respond.

The Government’s ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable persons 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, provide for greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. Significant resources have been invested by the health sector in disability services in the past few years. This year alone, the Health Service Executive has allocated €1.9 billion for its disability services programme.

As part of its ongoing service provision, the HSE will provide over 8,500 residential places this year for families in need across the country. In fact, residential services make up the largest part of the disability budget. Our policies are for people with disabilities to be supported to achieve their full potential in order that, where possible, they can live ordinary lives in ordinary places and doing ordinary things.

3 o’clock

The need for increased residential facilities is acknowledged and the HSE continues to work with agencies to explore various ways of responding to this need in line with the budget available.

Residential placements for adults with disabilities are considered following detailed clinical assessments by HSE services. Access to places for those with the most complex needs is allocated on a priority basis and appropriate availability of service.

The Deputy mentioned a particular centre. I am advised by the HSE that the centre in question is a ten-bed house owned by the Irish Society for Autism that was developed independently by the society without the prior agreement of the HSE, including any agreement on a commitment to funding. As the Deputy will be aware, the current policy on residential services for people with a disability is that no more than four persons should be accommodated in any one unit. This is to avoid the institutionalisation of care delivered in any setting. This ten-bed facility is not in line with the HSE policy on residential settings, which has been in place since 2010.

Everyone in the House will appreciate that the HSE must focus its resources on the areas of greatest need and in line with agreed policy. I am keen to emphasise that significant progress has been made in recent years in orienting our health and social care services to a direction more appropriate for users with autism.

Deputies will be aware that my colleague, the Minister for Health, requested that the HSE carry out a review of health services for people with autism to identify examples of good practice that can be replicated more widely in the health service. There was a strong emphasis on consultation with stakeholders and service users during this process. Following the publication of the review, the Minister for Health requested that the HSE establish a programme board to implement the recommendations of the review and to publish an autism plan this year. This commitment is reflected in the HSE national service plan 2019. An initial meeting of the programme board has now taken place and work is under way to ensure people with lived experience of autism are represented on the board. Several actions by the HSE are planned or already under way. These include: the development of guidance for clinical practitioners working in the field of autism; standardising the autism assessment process; and planning of a communications and public awareness campaign.

See this speech in context