Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

This Bill provides, for the first time, that the Minister will have to outline clearly at the beginning of the year the amount of money that will be provided for disability services. I do not suggest that the Minister will be unable to make changes in that regard during the year. It is obvious that one cannot ring-fence any moneys. We had a debate on this matter in the Dáil. For the first time, the Minister will be compelled to outline details of the allocation of moneys in a transparent manner. The Government will allocate funding on a multi-annual basis, irrespective of the state of the economy. I shudder to think what will happen to a Minister who tries during the year to steal from the fund that was allocated to disability services at the start of the year. This Bill provides that the Minister will be able to move money if it is necessary to do so as a result of some catastrophe or crisis. It is not intended that such a transfer of funds will take place, however.

Senator Kett asked about the balance that will remain after the allocation has been made. It is obvious that Ministers will have to have regard for the other service requirements of their Departments. I refer in particular to the two big Departments of Health and Children and Education and Science. This legislation provides for a clear statement of intent to be made after the discussions on the Estimates and the budget at the start of the year. The statement of intent will set out clearly what is being provided. It is significant that the Government has chosen, as part of its disability strategy, to outline the details of the first five-year rolling programme. The Minister for Finance stated in last December's budget that €900 million will be provided over five years. He emphasised that it will not be impossible for him to provide more money in any one of those five years.

I concur with the remarks of Senators today and on Second Stage. There have been significant increases in the amount of money provided for disability services in recent years. The relevant figure has doubled to €2.9 billion since 1987. It has been clear to me since I took up this position last September that we need to invest significant additional resources in the disability sector in the years to come. I do not doubt that there are significant gaps in service provision.

During the preparation of this legislation, I met many parents who are waiting for their children to be assessed. Such parents would like the Government to provide for early intervention and to ensure that the services which are needed are provided quickly and efficiently. Society must accept that it is not good enough that children with special needs, such as speech therapy or occupational therapy, have to wait for such services. The Bill before the House is intended to underpin the provision of such services.

We should not doubt that the investment of significant additional resources is required if we are to bridge the gaps which exist. The Government accepts that such investment is necessary, but it has clearly stated that everything cannot be done immediately. The commitment shown by the three key members of the Government — the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Finance — has convinced me that the Government is determined to invest the necessary resources over the next few years. The review of this complex legislation, which was mentioned by Senator O'Rourke, is necessary in the context of that investment. Many Senators spoke eloquently in favour of justiciable rights during the in-depth debate on that issue. The Government decided to provide for a five-year review period to ensure it will be able to examine the operation of the Act throughout the next five years. I emphasise that the review will start at any time within five years of the commencement of the Act.