Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, for coming into the House. He takes a particular interest in disability. I met the Brothers of Charity Services and the Galway Association last Monday regarding issues they brought to my attention, chiefly, what they describe as serious emergencies in their region. They pointed out that as many as 75 people with urgent needs, whom the HSE rates as critical and requiring service immediately, cannot be offered those services under the 2006 budget. I hope this issue can be considered.

I am disappointed that in recent years the former Western Health Board tended to divide its money in the ratio of 3:2:1 between Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, respectively. This arose in many areas, for example, special housing aid for the elderly, in respect of which the money was underspent in Mayo for two years. Mayo gave €300,000 to Galway, which must pay it back. It is a ridiculous mathematical formula and I am sure the Minister of State would prefer to see assessment of needs as the criterion for allocating funding, whether in respect of housing aid for the elderly or disability services.

There is also a problem in regard to occupational therapy and physiotherapy. The associations to which I spoke have the personnel but need funding. They asked whether funding could be provided for their associations out of the dormant accounts fund. Western Care also does good work, particularly in County Mayo. Significant numbers of people help these associations through fund raising. In my parish and in many parishes in east Galway there are church gate collections every year to help them with their excellent work. They may have been forgotten somewhat under the health boards, but I hope that separate allocations will now be provided for each county and that these will be based on the assessment of needs rather than any mathematical formula, a method which is out of date and no longer acceptable. I thank the Minister of State for his attendance and hope he has good news for me on the allocation of funding for this year.