John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I wish to emphasise the Government's commitment to providing a high-quality service to all people with disabilities. This commitment is illustrated by the substantial investment we have been making in disability services in recent years.

The national disability strategy, which was launched in September 2004, reinforces equal participation in society of people with disabilities and provides for a framework of new supports for these individuals. Together with the enhancement of other key support services, this strategy is a major factor in building the additional capacity required to ensure services best meet identified needs.

The strategy builds on a strong equality framework, which is reflected in several items of equality legislation. It puts the policy of the mainstreaming of public services for people with disabilities on a clear legal footing. The main elements of the strategy are the Disability Act 2005, the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, the sectoral plans published in 2006 by six Departments, the Citizens Information Act 2007 and the multi-annual investment programme for disability support services for the period 2006-09.

An integral part of the strategy is the multi-annual investment programme announced in the 2005 budget. This programme provides a commitment to a cumulative capital and revenue programme of €900 million. The bulk of this funding will be spent on certain disability-specific services during the period 2006 to 2009. Commitments in this regard include the development of new residential, respite and day places for persons with intellectual disability and autism in each of the years covered by the programme.

As the Senator is aware, the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, allocated €50 million in Budget 2008 in respect of the provision of disability services. This money will be allocated in the following ways. In respect of services for persons with intellectual disabilities and those with autism, 200 additional residential places will be provided in 2008, bringing the total number of places to 8,462 by the end of the year; 467 additional day care places will be provided in 2008, bringing the total number of places to 25,196 by the end of the year; and 53 additional respite places will be provided, bringing the total number of places to 4,533 by the end of the year. With regard to services for persons with physical or sensory disabilities, 80 additional residential places will be provided in 2008, bringing the total number of places to 914 by the end of the year and 200,000 additional hours of personal assistance-home support hours will be provided, bringing the total number of hours to 3.2 million by the end of the year. Some 140 multidisciplinary team posts are being allocated to disability services in 2008 to provide assessment and ongoing intervention services to children with disabilities and, in particular, with reference to the implementation of the provisions of the Disability Act 2005 for children under five years of age, which commenced on 1 June 2007.

By the end of the current multi-annual investment programme in 2009, it is expected that 1,235 new residential places, 398 new respite places and 467 new day care places will have been commissioned in respect of intellectual disability services. In addition, there will be 380 new residential places and 1.15 million extra PA-home support hours for people with physical and sensory disabilities.

With regard to the matter raised by the Senator, the HSE has informed the Department of Health and Children that the official opening by President Mary McAleese of Brookvale House took place in January 2008. Brookvale is a seven-bed community group home for people with intellectual disabilities who have medium to high-support needs. This development is one of two side-by-side group homes, known respectively as Brookvale House and Millbrooke House, which will provide a high standard of residential accommodation in a beautiful, quiet and rural-type setting.

The Department of Health and Children understands from the HSE that work is ongoing to identify the client group that will, based on community priority waiting lists, live at Brookvale and that arrangements are being put in place to address a number of other issues, including the recruitment of appropriate staff. The Department of Health and Children understands that the HSE has arranged to meet, later this month, representatives of the Monaghan Parents and Friends Association, which was involved in the development of this facility, to discuss progress on these issues.

I congratulate the Monaghan Parents and Friends Association on its great work and dedication in delivering on this high-quality development. The tripartite approach to this project which involved the association, Monaghan County Council and the HSE is a model of good practice that will enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities and their families in the Monaghan area.