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

As is often the case, I am not familiar with the detail of the case as I am taking it for my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath. However, the matter is under the community healthcare organisation that I represent and I am happy to have further conversations on the matter.

I must point out that the HSE has said there were no discussions with the HSE and no commitment was secured from the HSE for funding before the development of this particular centre. Without knowing any of the detail, I imagine and assume that would have been helpful had it taken place. Perhaps it did and, if so, the Deputy may want to correct some of the detail. I am only repeating the message I have been given and highlighting the point that it is not in keeping with the agreed policy.

The Deputy maintains that the facility can be transformed into a four-bed unit quickly. I cannot adjudicate on that but I am happy to have some discussion with the CHO management locally to see whether we can make progress on this issue. This is not a question of them-or-us. To the credit of the HSE it is delivering services, although Deputy Ferris said it was not delivering. I am not making the point defensively but rather as a matter of fact. The HSE is delivering residential services for 8,500 people but the demand is greater than that. That is acknowledged by the Government and the HSE. They acknowledge that there is greater demand for the service than the number of places available. Obviously, there is funding. We have a finite budget and significant challenges in the heath budget on all fronts, as the Deputy is aware. That applies to disability services as well notwithstanding that we have committed €1.9 billion to disability services this year from the health budget. We accept that the demand exceeds this. I am happy to have further conversations with my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy McGrath, and the CHO locally on the specific issue and on the case mentioned by the Deputy to see if we can make any progress in the interests of all sides and in the best interests of the parents and, most importantly, of the children with autism.

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