It is essential that my Department can access data at national level in respect of people with disabilities who are accessing health services or may have a need to do so in the future. A national database can inform planning, service development, the prioritisation of service needs and resource allocation at national, regional and local level. The information from the national intellectual disability database played a key role in accessing the additional funding which has been made available in recent years. My Department, in conjunction with the health boards and the voluntary sector, is currently implementing a national physical and sensory disability database. While some persons with autism who also have an intellectual disability are included on the national intellectual disability database, it does not contain information on this group as a whole. While the database provides information in respect of the level of services being provided and current and future needs, it does not identify persons with specific disabilities such as Down's syndrome or autism. Its principal role is as a planning and monitoring instrument.