Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House this evening to take this matter in person. I have no doubt she is aware of the circumstances in which we find ourselves once again. It is now the end of June but those who will be leaving school with significant disabilities do not yet know where they will get a service in the autumn. I raised this issue with the Minister before and I have raised it in various forums over the years, both in and out of government. When the Minister for Finance announced the package of €4 million in the budget, I was hoping this issue would not arise again. I recognise that there are challenges in the system but contend that, notwithstanding any reasons given, it is totally unsatisfactory and unfair that the most vulnerable are once again left uncertain as to where and what services will be available next autumn. In her reply, I hope the Minister of State will confirm that the issue will be dealt with this year. I understand the reality is that the sum of €4 million is totally inadequate.

I was given some figures for HSE west that implied that the share of money in Galway will be €200,000, despite the fact that €800,000 is required. There are seven school leavers this year who need one-to-one or two-to-one services. It is important that we do not square the circle by taking services away or diminishing services for other service users by spreading the cake more thinly and giving little slices to everybody while not giving anybody a comprehensive service. This is a considerable issue.

Can anybody imagine a parent at the end of June and, more important, the service user not knowing what will happen next September? Some of the people are able to advocate for themselves while others are not but the notion of them getting up without any service or support, with nowhere to go and no opportunity to develop and having to sit at home every day while their parents and other family members have no support is beyond comprehension. It is important that we discuss the provision of full services, which must include therapy, development and respite care.

This issue does not involve significant numbers. The problem is when the issue is addressed one year, a new group of school leavers come along the following year and have to campaign. That reduces the impact of how horrendous is the situation. It is important that we do not only resolve the issue now but that we also resolve to ensure people know early in the year what service is available to them and ensure transition plans are not put in place to help people and service users to adjust as they move from school to disability services over time. All of us need time in life to adjust but it is important to recognise that the people we are discussing have more need for time to adjust and acclimatise and that is also a major issue.

I hope the Minister of State has good news that the issue will be resolved over the next week. However, can she resolve to put this issue before a committee in the autumn in order that it can be thrashed out before Christmas? A sum of €55 million is being spent this year. Can we agree that, no matter how much money is available, the issue of disability services will be given priority?

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I am pleased to take this opportunity to outline on behalf of the Minister for Health the position on the matter raised by the Deputy. I recognise the importance of life skills training and day services to people with disabilities who are leaving the education system and every effort is being made within available resources to provide services to all 2013 school leavers. Day services for adults with disabilities provide a network of support for more than 25,000 people who have a wide spectrum of need, ranging from those with severe and profound disabilities who may need long-term specialist service provision to people with lower support needs and greater potential for community participation and inclusion. The HSE, through its occupational guidance service, works with schools, service providers, service users and families to identify the needs of young people with disabilities who are due to complete their second level education. The aim is to address the needs of individuals in the following ways, through health funded rehabilitative or life skills training, health funded day services, FÁS funded vocational training or the extension to education placement for a specified time, to which the Deputy referred in the context of transition.

The demand for services for young people with disabilities completing their education or life skills training continues to increase. The HSE is currently finalising their figures for 2013 but expects that more than 700 new places will be required. Service providers and the HSE are working closely together to identify how these needs can be met within available resources. This year, despite a 1.2% cut in the disability budget, an additional €4 million has been ring-fenced in the HSE's national service plan for new places. This funding is being allocated to each HSE region based on its percentage of population, which is important.

Even with the additional funding, the provision of the required level of new services will be challenging in the context of the overall budgetary position and the moratorium on staff recruitment, something to which we may be able to return. In addition, the physical capacity to provide further services may not be present in all agencies. While the HSE makes every effort to provide day services or training places to school leavers with special needs, this has always been dependent on the availability and location of appropriate places coupled with the needs of the individual school leaver. However, 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 of this cohort. I have asked to be kept informed of progress on an ongoing basis and I recently met representatives of the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies and the HSE on this issue. I have also asked the HSE to ensure a plan is put in place immediately to communicate with families and give them certainty about the placements or supports which will be available to their children in September. I agree with the Deputy regarding the communication piece.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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On a personal level, the Minister of State is probably embarrassed reading that reply.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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No.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed because she is telling me on 27 June that the HSE hopes to solve his problem. She used the phrase "creative and flexible". What I am told is simple and stark. As she said, the money is given out proportionate to the population in each region. I am told by people within the system, not by voluntary organisations, that the amount being offered is a quarter of the money needed. At the end of the day, the creative solution will probably be to diminish services to existing users and spread the funding among the new people coming into the system.

The Minister of State did not give a firm commitment that in the next week they will either be offered a continuation of service where they are, if appropriate, or an alternative service. Will it be possible to inform the users and their families through me or directly what exactly will happen? Unfortunately, this reply does not outline what will happen. All families can read into it is that something might happen and a loaves and fishes trick might be performed to cut the funding for other people and redistribute it. There is no certainty that anything will happen and parents and service users will be unable to go to bed tonight knowing they will have a service in September. I beg the Minister of State to do something in the next few days to bring much more clarity to this issue.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I am in regular contact with both the service providers through the Disability Federation of Ireland, which is a good organisation that represents its members well, and the HSE. The executive has been instructed to keep me informed on a weekly basis, which is happening. We do not have the completed plan yet. We need to be careful about what we say, as I have been both in opposition and in government, because families are wondering what will happen to their children in the future and I am conscious of that. Last year, we managed to deal with the issue. We secured €4 million in additional funding this year. It is not as if we have endless budgets but we are about to enter talks with the Department of Education and Skills, which spends €1.3 billion a year on special needs education.

My Department allocates €1.4 billion per year to disability services, the area for which I have responsibility. Between us, we should be able to provide a service that does not induce the type of anxiety some people are currently experiencing, but both Departments need to work together to devise a realistic plan. The existing level of funding is sufficient to provide a service on which people can rely.