Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I have been contacted by the campaign co-ordinators of Down Syndrome Ireland's Meath-Louth branch about the Health Service Executive's devastating decision to cut its funding by 60%. The branch provides a vital programme for children with Down's syndrome aged between one and five years. There are 52 children enrolled in the programme, under which early intervention specialists visit the homes of children with Down's syndrome for 90 minutes every two weeks throughout the year. The specialists work with the child and his or her parents, providing a wealth of knowledge, experience and support. The goal is to ensure every child reaches his or her full potential and is equipped to lead as independent a life as possible in adulthood.

The early intervention programme does not have administration costs as it has been run by parents on a voluntary basis since its establishment in 1982. For 36 years it has provided great support for children and parents. Of the €75,000 it costs each year to provide services for more than 50 children, approximately €50,000 is raised by parents, with the balance of €25,000 being met until now by HSE funding from lottery grant money. In January the HSE reduced the grant it provides from €25,000 to €10,000, or by 60%. It is extremely unfortunate that this meaningful and necessary programme will have to consider what impact the cut in funding will have. It is highly likely the branch will have to reduce the number of home visits made to children for the first time since the programme began. That would be devastating for the 52 families involved. The €15,000 the programme will lose is a significant amount and goes a long way towards helping children with Down's syndrome and their families.

In recent years the organisation has shielded this vital programme from cuts because of a decline in fundraising income. Unfortunately, it may no longer be possible to do so from September onwards. We do not want children with special needs to fall behind. Early intervention is vital and the specialists provide speech and language therapy and teach basic skills such as how to hold a pencil. The aim is to allow the children to start primary school at the age of five or six years on the same terms as children without special needs.

Parents raise €50,000 per annum for the programme, which is a substantial amount of money. In fairness to the Health Service Executive, for some years it also provided €25,000 in annual funding before this funding was cut at the stroke of a pen. As I stated, the Meath-Louth branch of Down Syndrome Ireland has been operating for 36 years. It is an extremely important organisation and we must ensure it can continue.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.

On behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for disabilities, Deputy Finian McGrath, who cannot be here, and also the Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for mental health and older people, Deputy Jim Daly, who is currently in the Seanad, I am happy to outline the position on funding for the Louth-Meath Down Syndrome Ireland branch.

The Louth-Meath branch is one of 25 branches of Down Syndrome Ireland. The goal of the Louth-Meath branch is to help those with Down's syndrome make their own futures as bright and independent as possible by providing them with education, support and friendship every step along the way.

The branch manages an early intervention home teacher programme for preschool children aged from one year to six years with Down's syndrome in counties Louth and Meath. The branch, in co-operation with Clinical Assessment Therapy and Training Services, CATTS, Ireland also runs a speech and language-occupational therapy programme.

Over the past number of years, the HSE has provided lottery grants to the Louth-Meath branch of Down Syndrome Ireland.

In 2015, the number of lottery grant applications increased significantly, in fact, by 200% on 2014 applications, and it was necessary to review the amount of lottery funding to organisations in order to accommodate this higher number.

Initially, in 2016, a number of organisations which applied for lottery funding were advised of reductions in the grants being approved. However, this reduction was reversed and the grant was restored pending a review of the overall funding allocation process. The disability manager then met the DSI Louth-Meath branch and agreed the funding allocation for 2016 and subsequently for 2017.

The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, met officials from the HSE on Monday afternoon and was informed that the HSE has committed to continue to fund DSI Louth-Meath branch for 2018, based on the previous year's allocation pending the completion of a review of the overall funding allocation process in line with the criteria for allocation of the national lottery grants.

Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael)
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This early intervention therapy programme over the past 36 years has been managed on a completely voluntary basis by parents of children with Down's syndrome.

Last month, The Irish Timespublished an article which described early intervention as vital for children with special needs. Without it, children with Down's syndrome will fall further behind with life-long effects on levels of independence.

Early intervention, if provided at the levels needed, allow children with Down's syndrome to reach their full potential with a view to leading lives as independent as possible as adults. This would reduce the need for interaction with adult disability services in later life leading to savings in future HSE budgets.

It is getting more likely that the branch will have to reduce the number of home visits its earlier intervention specialist makes to children on the programme for the first time since the programme began in 1982. This will have a detrimental effect on the 52 children who greatly benefit from participation on the programme and will increase demands on already overstretched State early intervention services provided by Enable Ireland and the HSE.

I am disappointed with the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. He was always the one to stand up for Down Syndrome Ireland.

We have 52 families in Louth and Meath who are looking for a bit of help. The families are not afraid to put their hands in their pockets. We are getting money from the lottery. Fifteen thousand euro is not too much to ask from the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, and the Department. If one looks over the past number of months, the amount of money that the HSE and the Department of Health are squandering is an absolute disgrace.

These children with Down's syndrome deserve their rights. The families are working hard. Everyone involved is working hard. We are not asking the HSE to come and educate the children. These specialists are organised to call to these children's houses every second week during the school year for those up to six years of age. All the parents want is to help these children with special needs.

On behalf of the 52 children and their families who benefit greatly from this parent-led programme, I ask what can be done to reverse this devastating 60% funding cut. I know a 60% cut sounds like a great deal and €15,000 is a great deal of money, but the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, will definitely have to dig into his pocket. I beg him to just give the €15,000.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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While it is not an area for which the Department in which I am Minister of State is responsible, I have something of an in-depth knowledge of the matter because I have a cousin in another branch who is looked after very well.

As I stated, the HSE has committed to continue to fund Down Syndrome Ireland's Louth-Meath branch for 2018 based on the previous year's allocation pending the completion of the review. Thirteen and a half thousand euro was dedicated to the early intervention home teacher programme 2016 and 2017 and this amount will continue to be allocated to the branch for this programme in 2018.

The HSE is currently engaged in a major reconfiguration of its existing therapy resources for children with disability into multidisciplinary geographically based teams as part of its national programme on progressing disability services for children and young people aged zero to 18 years. The key objective of this programme is to bring about equity of access to disability services and consistency of service delivery with a clear pathway for children with disabilities and their families to services regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of the individual's difficulties. Evidence to date from the areas where this has been rolled out shows that the implementation of this programme continues to have a positive impact on the waiting lists, both for assessments and therapies.