Dáil debates

Thursday, 9 March 2017

Topical Issue Debate

Services for People with Disabilities

5:15 pm

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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At least seven young adults with disabilities who have been allocated day service places in St. Michael's House here in Dublin are unable to gain access to those places due to the absence of funding to cover transport. I am sure the Minister of State will agree that this is a shocking predicament for the service users and their families.

One of the people affected left school in June last year. After seven long months at home, his family received word that he had secured a day care place at St. Michael's House, Adare Green. I am told the building is not yet ready so the service will be situated in Baldoyle for the foreseeable future. Needless to say, the family was delighted to secure this place for their son, who has complex special needs. Their joy was soon taken away, however, when they learned there was no funding available to take him to and from the facility. To access the facility via public transport would require four bus journeys each way. Travelling by bus is not an option in any event due to the severity of the individual's needs. He is unable to travel unaccompanied and both his parents work so they are not in a position to bring him.

Another case of which I am aware concerns two brothers, one of whom is a day centre attendee at St. Michael's House, Baldoyle. He was recently accepted into St. Michael's in Bunratty Road, Coolock, but is yet to receive a start date. The other is in an adult day centre in Raheny. Both boys, who suffer from a global development delay, were provided with transport when they attended national school. Since the funding for transport has been axed, they have been struggling to come to terms with their changing routine. Their mother contacted me and said:

I cannot describe to you just how difficult it is for them to have changes made to their routine. One of my sons has been in day care since February 2015, with no transport, and has still not got used to this change.

I understand St. Michael's House has said it is unable to provide funding for transport as it is not within its funding allocation. I raised this matter with the Minister of State recently during Questions on Promised Legislation and he replied he had recently met senior management of St. Michael's House to discuss funding and the amount of funding that has gone into the social care disability service plan for 2017. He confirmed the budget for transport within St. Michael's is taken from its own budget. I understand that, in order to provide a bus, driver and escort for six to eight people - it would depend on the number of wheelchairs among their number - some €65,000 per annum would be required. It is not major money.

This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently. It is wholly unfair on these young adults with disabilities and their parents that they are being denied transport. It should be a given that funding would be in place to allow them to gain access to services provided for their needs. They should not have to fight for something like this. I ask the Minister of State to intervene immediately to ensure that all people allocated places in St Michael's have access to transport to and from these essential services.

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of transport for people with disabilities attending HSE funded day services, particularly St. Michael’s House. I welcome the opportunity to outline the current position in this regard. I will also deal with some of the individual questions the Deputy asked.

The provision of transport to adults with a disability attending HSE funded day services is not a core health service, but I am fully aware of how important transport is for people with disabilities who attend day services. As a general rule, public transport should be used in all circumstances where it is an option. I accept the Deputy’s point that some disabilities are complex so public transport is not an option. This is in keeping with the principle of mainstreaming with a clear focus on ensuring persons with a disability have access to the normal range of services and participate in community life as far as possible. It must be noted that, in general, day service users are in receipt of a disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the free travel pass so there should be no additional cost at an individual level. That relates particularly to those individuals with disabilities who are on their way to independent living or able to access public transport.

New developments to meet the needs of school leavers with disabilities who require continuing HSE funded supports each year are located as close as possible to where people reside so as to reduce the travel time for each person and enable them to be more connected with their local community.

6 o’clock

Funding is not provided to service providers for the transportation of young people to and from day services. The HSE is aware of the difficulties being experienced by parents with regard to transport for school leavers. In this regard, one of the options is to arrange transport and cover the cost by reducing the quantum of service the clients would receive. However, it is my understanding that this option is not viable in the context of St. Michael's House as the clients in question are not attending day services in the same location.

The HSE has also committed to establishing a high level, cross divisional working group this year to rationalise the provision of transport and to maximise equitable access and efficiencies. The HSE also intends to liaise with the National Transport Authority, NTA, and disability service providers to explore ways in which the authority’s services could assist people with disabilities. I understand that the NTA has a total of 17 transport co-ordinating units, called Local Link, which provide safe, secure and reliable public transport services in local and rural areas of Ireland through a combination of scheduled public transport and door-to-door services. The HSE plans to explore the opportunities these units may provide to people with disabilities to access day services and participate in the social, educational and economic life of their local communities.

I would add that I will be meeting representatives from St. Michael's House in the very near future.

5:25 pm

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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While I thank the Minister of State for his reply, I must say, with considerable regret, that there is no solace in his response for the families involved. The Minister of State said that the HSE "plans to explore" and so forth but all of this amounts to no early resolution of the difficulties with which these families are contending. This is critically important and I urge the Minister of State to personally intervene with the respective authorities, that is, the service providers, the HSE and transport providers of whatever hue in order to guarantee a continued service for this small cohort of young adults with serious disabilities. They are unable to access the services that have been allocated to them and which were determined as essential for their respective care plan needs. It is imperative that a solution is found.

The point was made that as a general rule, public transport should be used in all circumstances where it is an option and I welcome the fact that the Minister of State has acknowledged that is not an option for any of the young adults to whom I refer. These seven young people are severely challenged and could not possibly face the use of public transport and certainly not unaccompanied. The departmental reply made reference to covering the transport costs by reducing the quantum of service the clients would receive but that is penalising the young people. It is totally and wholly inappropriate and is not an answer in any circumstances. At the end of the day, scheduled public transport is not the answer in this case. Door-to-door service is required. Indeed, the two brothers to whom I referred are not going to the same centre as St. Michael's House has a presence in several locations across the city and beyond.

It is very important to recognise in this instance that we are talking about a special group of young adults who need our assistance now and I am making a special appeal on their behalf.

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I have listened carefully to what Deputy Ó Caoláin has said about these particular seven young people. I accept his point that within the disability community there are young adults with intellectual and physical disabilities who have complex needs. I accept his argument in that regard. However, it must be noted that St. Michael's House received €72.7 million in funding in 2016. Deputy Ó Caoláin suggested that it would cost approximately €65,000 to provide transport for the seven students in question and I will be putting that point to the representatives from St. Michael's House.

I am very familiar with the services provided by St. Michael's House. There are children and adults with complex needs who avail of its services and who have been provided with the type of transport service to which the Deputy refers. Some of those children live in Marino and Deputy Ó Caoláin is talking about a group of families who live in Baldoyle and Bunratty Road in Coolock. The Deputy has asked me to personally intervene on their behalf and I will do so. I will raise the Deputy's concerns with St. Michael's House.

The issue of transport for children and adults with very complex needs must be addressed. While I acknowledge that a high percentage of people with disabilities are capable of independent living and can use public transport to attend their day services, no-one should miss out on day services because of transport issues. I will do my best to intervene because it is imperative that young adults with physical and intellectual disabilities are able to attend the day services to which they are entitled. Their families also deserve support. I ask Deputy Ó Caoláin to afford me the opportunity to look at these seven particular cases.

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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For the record, I am referring to services in Baldoyle, not where the young person is domiciled. That would be four bus stops away for the young person in that case.

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The service is in Baldoyle, so they would need four routes to get them there. Is that right?

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I suggest the Deputies have a meeting to discuss the matter further.