Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 19 together.

I thank the Deputy. The case he has outlined brings to mind a similar case in my constituency. The HSE provides specialist disability services, including day services and rehabilitative training, to people with disabilities who require such services. People with intellectual disabilities form the majority of service users who are supported by these services.

While day service funding does not include transport, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different community healthcare organisation, CHO, areas. These include travel training to enable public transport to be used, where appropriate, local transport such as Local Link, private bus transport and taxis, and some service providers providing transport where capacity exists.

In general, day service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the free travel pass. The HSE has been working with the National Transport Authority, NTA, on the issue of transport to HSE day services, through the Open Routes project. Open Routes is based on the idea that transport to HSE services such as day services would be best served by accessible local public transport such as Local Link, transporting people to their day services, but also serving the wider local community with enhanced public transport provision.

This approach is being piloted in Leitrim. The NTA advises that the integrated pilot project was developed in close collaboration with the HSE, with a revised network that is designed to meet the needs of mainstream public transport users as well as the transport needs of passengers with disabilities and those accessing health care services in the county. This pilot project has been in operation for more than a year. To date, all feedback on the pilot from stakeholders such as the HSE, individual day centres, external stakeholders and passengers has been very positive. In addition to the positive feedback, passenger numbers on regular rural services have grown considerably since the introduction of the revised Transport for Ireland, TFI, Local Link network for County Leitrim. This model could be applied in other parts of the country, with the NTA leading on this and working closely with local partners such as the HSE. The NTA and HSE are continuing to progress this work.

At a national level, under the national disability inclusion strategy, the Department of Transport has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of accessible public transport. To develop proposals for better co-ordination of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities, a transport working group was established, co-ordinated by my Department and chaired by my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. The outcomes of the work of the group will provide valuable evidence for future policy development, including the successor strategy to the national disability inclusion strategy. The report was published last month and is available on my Department's website.

On personal assistance, the HSE provides a range of assisted living services, including personal assistant, PA, services to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives. This includes support with accessing transport, depending on a person’s assessed needs. Services are accessed through an application process or through referrals from public health nurses or other community-based staff.

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