Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kelly for raising this issue. I know he does so in a genuine way and I agree with much of what he has said. I am not happy that there is not a specific timelined roadmap that I have yet seen for the restoration and reopening of disability day services. The Deputy can tell Philip, Leah, Darragh, Stephen, Padraig and Alan that I am working with the Minister for Health, the Minister of State and the Department of Health to get this moving. I do not think it acceptable that the services are not reopen at this stage.

Initially, in March, as the Deputy will appreciate, all services were shut down because of the pandemic. I am told by the Department that the service providers are working to get day services ready to reopen safely and in line with public health guidance. I am told that adult day services will gradually resume during August but I want more specifics than that. We have also made it clear that the earlier HSE efficiency savings aspect has been put to one side. The HSE is apparently engaged with the service providers with a view to identifying and validating business cases from those providers for additional funding to support the reopening of services. I want that accelerated quickly. The Government provided another €2 billion to the Department of Health for service funding to deal with Covid-19 pandemic health funding issues. I believe the wherewithal is there to facilitate the return and resumption of these services.

The HSE has confirmed that no provider has informed it that services will not resume in August. Again, what I want is a timelined specific response as to when all the services plan to reopen and commencement dates in relation to same. An information portal, which will contain the dates on which the 966 disability day service locations will reopen, is being developed. I understand that after 4 August, service users and their families will be able to access this information on and we will send that out. The Deputy's point is well made. I am not arguing with him in any shape or form and I get the necessity of getting these services restored in a meaningful way for those who use them.

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