Results 321-340 of 1,150 for speaker:Frank Fahey

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: The objective is to provide those services, not to provide rights. The provision of rights does not guarantee that services will be provided. The Opposition is being a little disingenuous in respect of this amendment. Following what was said on Committee Stage, I introduced an amendment to allow for the review of the operation of the legislation within five years of its commencement. In...

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: I am using the example of clinical depression, which is treatable and curable. It is not, and was never intended to be, included in the definition of disability. Clinical depression is not a form of disability, whereas the more continuous forms of mental illness, such as those I have mentioned, are disabilities according to the definition. We have widened the definition to ensure that no...

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: I am quite satisfied with the legal advice available to me to the effect that this Bill is sufficiently robust to withstand any constitutional challenge.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: When he requires them, he will get them.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: He is wrong.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: The Deputy is wrong to suggest that a person in a wheelchair does not have a disability.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: A review to take place not later than five years means that it could happen within one month after the legislation being passed.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: That is correct, but the amendment I have brought in allows a review to take place, should that be necessary. The spirit of this amendment is that a review should take place and be completed within five years.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: If it is to take place not later than five years, then certainly we expect that it will be completed within that time.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: We are beginning to get absurd again with the responses.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (24 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: I will again clarify for Deputy Stanton that a person in a wheelchair who can enjoy full life benefits, as he described, is included in this Bill. That person is limited in his or her capacity because of being in a wheelchair. Such persons are covered by this Bill and it is absurd to assert that someone in a wheelchair is not disabled, as he suggests.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: I will not.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: The amendments seek to unite the functions of the assessment officer under section 8 and the liaison officer under section 11 under the title "needs officer". While I have certain sympathy with the thrust of the arguments put forward, the House will be aware that an assessment officer has statutory independence to identify the individual needs arising from an assessment without regard to...

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: There will not be.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: On Deputy Stanton's question, which embraces the issues raised by the other speakers, the role of the assessment officer is to operate within the Health Service Executive system to identify the series of services that can be provided from within existing or planned resources. The HSE is working out the detailed arrangements for the practical implementation of the legislation. It is...

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: With respect to Deputy Stanton, I have answered the question. The liaison officer must take account of resource constraints when putting together the service statement.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: If a person with an assessment statement requires services that cannot be provided because of a lack of resources, those services must be left out of the service statement. That is the reality. Since we entered into discussion on amendments, the DLCG was quite adamant that it wanted an independent assessment of need. It is for this reason that the independent assessment of need must be...

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: There is nothing in the Bill that does not allow for that. That is an important clarification, which perhaps I had not made sufficiently clear before this.

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: This amendment proposes to give examples of personal social services for the purposes of the Bill. Existing health legislation covers some personal social services such as residential care. Any expansion of the scope of such provision by way of defining personal social services would therefore be more appropriately dealt with in that legislation. Having listened to the arguments of the...

Disability Bill 2004: Report Stage (Resumed). (25 May 2005)

Frank Fahey: Part 2 deals with all health services as provided by the Health Service Executive. It would not be appropriate to define health services in this Bill. The same applies to personal social services. If Deputy Stanton would outline the advantage of including this limited number of areas in the Bill, I could perhaps refer that to the Department of Health and Children.