Results 19,821-19,840 of 22,424 for speaker:Finian McGrath

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. The HSE and I acknowledge that waiting times to access the school age team for children with disabilities in CHO 7 which covers Dublin south, Kildare west and Wicklow are unacceptably long. It is due to high demand for services and challenges in staff recruitment and retention in the area. The Dublin south, Kildare west and Wicklow...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I accept completely that it is important to intervene as early as possible. I take that point at a personal level. I also accept that the waiting lists are unacceptably long. However, there is difficulty in filling some of the positions. That is the bad news. The good news is that in recent months I have noticed that a lot of occupational and speech and language therapists who emigrated...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I do not dispute the issue. There are problems in the Deputy's area, as well as in counties Kildare, Kerry, Wexford and Cork. That is the reality. What we must do is try to put the resources in place and fix the problems. I managed to secure an extra €150 million for disability services in budget 2019. I give the House a commitment that we are sitting down to finalise the HSE's...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue regarding the Government's ongoing priority to safeguard vulnerable persons in the care of the health service. This Government’s ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable people in the care of the health service. We are committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The funding for disability services has not been cut. Anybody who says that is misleading people.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: An extra €150 million is being put into disability services in 2019. Respite services are being developed and an additional €10 million has been provided in 2018 for services. I have visited the 12 new houses, the last of which will be completed in the next week or two. They are in each CHO area, with three in the greater Dublin area, and ten new respite centres have been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: This year the HSE will provide 182,500 overnight and 42,500 day respite sessions throughout the country. CHO 4 has provided 17,000 respite nights and 2,000 respite day services to people with a disability, while in excess of 900 people with a disability have accessed respite services across the CHO. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien's point is very important. We are putting €1.8 billion into...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I thank Deputy Pringle for raising this very important issue. Again, I stress that this Government's ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable people in the care of the health service. We are committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives. Earlier this year, the Government provided an extra €10...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: There was a lack of consistency in service provision but there are no plans to transfer the ownership of the facility to a third party.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I am not directly involved in the day-to-day issues here but there are obviously problems with regard to the delivery of services. The HSE has asked a third party to provide respite services and there are some very good service providers all over this State who provide such services on a regular basis. I am confident, as is the HSE, that the new service, with new efficiencies, will be in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Respite Care Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I assure both Deputies that the HSE, the Department and I, as Minister of State, will keep a very close eye on this situation. According to information provided to me, there were serious challenges in the delivery of services and the HSE came up with a plan to address those challenges. The plan is not about providing cover for the HSE. As I said earlier, we must ensure that high quality...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: A standard pathway is in place for all children applying for Assessment of Need. The pathway involves three stages: 1. The Initial Planning Stage: which is often referred to as the desktop assessment. This is carried out by the assessment officer, who will clarify with clinical assessors the specific aim and purpose of assessing the child. The team/assessors will identify what is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61 and 136 together. The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) is a non-statutory organisation that works with people across the country who are experiencing sight loss. It is funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE), under Section 39 of the Health Act, to provide a range of centre, domiciliary and community based services to people who are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Support Services Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: As the HSE's National Service Plan for 2019 has not yet been finalised, a final decision with regard to the quantum of personal assistance hours to be delivered has not yet concluded, but will be agreed shortly. It is the policy of the HSE to provide Personal Assistant services that are person-centred, equitable and transparent to people with a physical and/or sensory disability. The HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Services Provision (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Support Services (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Voluntary Sector Funding (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (5 Dec 2018)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...