Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I raise this issue because I attended a meeting today of the Walkinstown Association for Handicapped whose members confirmed to me the level of cuts involved. Three kitchen staff have been let go, a modern kitchen closed and a woman who was involved in holistic therapy lost her job yesterday. In addition, those who were in the rehabilitative training programmes, who had been promised that at the end of their term in those training programmes, which would last up to three or four years, they could move to day services have now been told there is no availability of such services because of the decision by the HSE not to provide funding for that and not agree to the transfer.

I met with a number of the clients, as they are known, and their frustration was clear. They are well able to understand, despite their various disabilities, the seriousness of what is happening to them and the fact that services are being cut. They will miss the people they have become familiar with who provide services such as hot meals every day. Their future is to sit at home or in the residential units in which they live. That is if they are allowed to do so, because not all residential units allow residents to remain throughout the day.

Respite weekends for clients have also been cut. These were a major attraction because they provided a break from the daily routine. Clients looked forward to travelling to various places for a weekend, which could be done at very little cost because most of the work of the Walkinstown association is done voluntarily or at less cost than similar services provided by other service providers and much cheaper than the private services contracted by the HSE.

It has been proven time and time again that the Walkinstown association has given value for money. It deals with some of the most disabled people and most difficult cases, whom other private or HSE services cannot deal with. Anyone who knows their clients sees the progress they make when continuous service is available to them.

The HSE has refused to meet the management of the Walkinstown association to deal with its failure to agree a budget or to announce the final detail of the budget cuts. Therefore, the remaining services of the Walkinstown association are under threat because the HSE cannot agree figures or announce a budget for next year. The HSE says the cost in any of its other services is €80,000 per client. The Walkinstown association provides a residential service for €35,000 per client, which is a huge saving. Instead of cutting the Walkinstown association budget, the HSE should encourage the association to take more clients and money should be provided for that. The Walkinstown association has proven that it gives value for money.

This measure is contrary to the commitments given when we debated the Disability Bill. Promises were made that services for disabled people would not be cut. When the Opposition argued that the legislation should be rights based we were told that was not necessary because the Government could guarantee that services would not be cut. A number of years later, one of the services in my constituency which serves its clients to the best of its ability faces huge cuts.

I presume the same is true of other services throughout the country. I can only deal with the one that has been highlighted to me. It is a scandal that the weakest and most vulnerable bear the brunt of cuts which should not be required.

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. At the outset, I reaffirm the Government's steadfast commitment to people with disabilities in Ireland and to the national disability strategy and its long-term goals and objectives, which we will continue to pursue in the coming years in partnership with all the key stakeholders.

Since 2005, the Government has provided significant additional resources for services and supports for effecting real change in the development of services for people with disabilities. The multi-annual investment programme, which was a key component of the Government's disability strategy, had by the end of the period 2005 to 2008 provided the following for the intellectual disability services: 804 new residential places; 307 new respite places; and 1,863 new day places. In terms of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities, 275 new residential places and 911,626 extra home care-personal assistance hours have been provided for. In addition, in the same period, 195 day places have had their services enhanced with the provision of additional supports to provide for school leavers or other adults with significant disabilities. Some 406 places in the intellectual disability residential service have been enhanced, 61 respite places have been enhanced while 43 residential places in the physical and sensory disability services have been enhanced.

Due to the current economic situation, it has not been possible to provide significant levels of development funding for additional services in 2009. However, the HSE and voluntary disability service providers are working together to ensure that the existing resources available for specialist disability services are used in the most effective manner possible. The common aim is to ensure that the needs of as many individuals as possible are catered for within the resources available. Both the voluntary sector and the HSE are committed to the best use of available resources in a creative and flexible manner to be as responsive as possible to the needs that present.

With regard to the six individuals concerned, I understand from the HSE that they completed their rehabilitative training in February. This training has been extended until the end of September of this year. At that point, additional funding will be available for the provision of day places generally and their position will be reviewed in that context. The HSE and the Department of Health and Children will monitor the situation to ensure that, as far as possible, the needs of each young person with a disability leaving school or rehabilitative training in 2009 will be addressed.