Results 5,241-5,260 of 10,832 for speaker:Anne Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Services (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank members for the invitation to appear before them once again. The work of the committee is an important vehicle for making sure that the whole of Government looks at disability issues as a priority. I am thankful for the work it has done, not least the work that was carried out in producing the report on aligning funding to the UNCRPD which we spoke to in the Dáil last week. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Senator for her questions. Members and everyone watching this meeting would like to know when the transfer will take place. The Cabinet has approved the draft heads of the Bill handling the transfer. When I was asked to become Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, I was asked to move the area out of the Department of Health and into the Department of Children,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: Currently my budget is €2.2 billion to €2.3 billion and the whole purse in relation to disability is coming with me to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It is a huge budget that is coming into that Department. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, will be the senior Minister with oversight. We will double the budget within the Department of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Senator. I am repeatedly asked about the UNCRPD and the optional protocol. It is a programme for Government commitment. However, when we did the programme for Government we were in a space where we had sight of a timeline for going before the UN, which was mid-2022. That does not seem to be the timeline at the moment. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and I are still committed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: They could be meeting monthly in some cases. Education meets frequently, as do justice and social protection. There is not one Department that does not show up to the national disability inclusion strategy quarterly meeting. The engagement of the Department representatives who attend with the DSG is wholesome, practical and about what they are doing. This is an opportunity for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I will allow the conversation to finish and then come in on a question asked by the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for her question. She asked me a direct question. She asked whether I can help her to set up a meeting. I will bring her up to speed. I am currently meeting with the lead agencies. In CHO 4, the main leads are Enable Ireland, CoAction and COPE. Ms Crehan-Roche will correct me if I am wrong. We do not have any HSE organisation in CHO 4 delivering services; my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for that question. She is dead right. If I had all the money in the world in the morning and I wanted to hand it all over to the HSE, we could not recruit because the people are not there. There is an issue with the supply pipeline. We are all drawing from the same pool of people. I refer to the gamut of services, including primary care, private practice, disability...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for that question. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, who has responsibility for older persons, is leading the work on the safeguarding legislation. I met her as recently as last night to discuss the matter. I will be feeding into that process. I will be focusing on the legislation through the lens of disability. Before coming to this meeting, I confirmed that there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: There has. I met with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, on this. We have done some research on long Covid as a disability but I can go no further than that today. "Yes", is the answer. There is work going on behind the scenes on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for that question. On decongregation, there were 144 persons assisted to be decongregated in 2021, 143 are planned for 2022 and there were 126 in 2020. That is the pathway in relation to decongregation. When we talk about decongregating, we are always looking at the challenges within it. These are not only the properties but the moving of people who in some cases have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: I believe a respite house has already come on stream in CHO 7. It is a children's respite house. I do not know the exact location but will revert to the Deputy on that. Regarding Stewarts, I met a representative of the organisation yesterday, Ms Deborah Jacob, to discuss CHO 7 and we had a good conversation about our children's disability network teams. I am hoping to have further...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: The Deputy is correct that it is a function within the Department of Health. There are two elements to this issue. We all know the primary medical certificate function sits within the Department of Finance. The role of the Department of Health in the context of the primary medical certificate is to carry out the assessments through community-based primary care teams. The Department has an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: All policy options related to the mobility allowance schemes will fall under my remit on transfer to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. All the policy options that are being examined by the Department of Health in tandem with the new Department are being reviewed with a view to introducing a scheme in the not-too-distant future.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: Let me be very clear: primary medical certificates do not sit under me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: It is also important for me to be clear that, even with the new conversation and the assessment, the function concerning assessments and primary medical certificates is not transferring with me. That is under community care, which pertains to the acute settings. It will not be transferring with me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: With regard to the key positions of team leads in the PDS teams, the HSE made a submission this year on funding for maternity posts. They are being funded. We are taking a step forward in recognition of the role of key workers. Where there are team leads with full teams beneath them, we will be funding the maternity positions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: The Deputy's principal question was about the under-65s. At that point in time, the answer she received meant that there was what looked like an underspend of €6 million from the HSE point of view. I am looking over at Mr. O'Regan asking if the Deputy is right. He has reassured me that at the beginning of this month, 12 out of the 18 transferred for the under-65s. I know for a fact...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Aligning Disability Services with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Nov 2021)

Anne Rabbitte: As Mr. O'Regan has said, when we are choosing respite, it must also be about the built environment. It cannot just be about coming inside the gate of the four walls. It also has to be what the community has to offer and it must be about participation within that community. I acknowledge that in CHO3 in 2021, we were very fortunate to open a respite centre there for children with complex...