John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the opportunity to come before the Seanad. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, who was not available to attend the House this evening. I have taken note of most of the issues raised and will try to respond in my contribution to the concerns expressed by Members regarding the non-implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, issues pertaining to class sizes and questions regarding the overall budget strategy.

I take into account the genuine concerns raised by Members this evening. I note the nature of the motion, the process in which we are involved and that we are in an adversarial setting. The Opposition tables a motion and criticises the possible lack of interest of the Government, after which it is my duty to come before the House and respond to the criticism by using the figures and whatever else. While much time is wasted in this process, I acknowledge it is important for the Opposition to raise and criticise Government policy. By the same token, Members will accept that I must attend the House to refute at least some of the arguments put before me.

At the outset, it is worth noting that altogether 19,000 staff are employed in schools to deal specifically with children with special needs. Although I must go into considerable detail regarding the level of supports for children with special needs, I will preface my remarks by recognising that everyone wishes to see far better levels of service. My contention is that were it not for the great budgetary constraints placed upon it, the Government also would like to do this. Senator Boyle referred to this point a few minutes ago when he explained what the Government is spending on a daily basis. I make these points to explain that politicians, by their nature, are not in the business of introducing unpopular policies. Consequently, when they do, there must be a serious and solid reason for so doing.

I wish to take the opportunity to reaffirm, as I have done with those representatives of the disability sector who I have met in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for equality, disability and mental health, to groups and the wider public that the national disability strategy still is in place. The Government will do what it possibly can to give people with disabilities the services and supports they need. I also will take the opportunity to outline the Government's commitment in this regard in the recent budget. It also is important to confirm that persons with disabilities are and will remain a priority for the Government. I will explain this in the course of my contribution.

It also is important to emphasise that the creation of the office for disability, mental health and equality is an attempt to ensure that people with disabilities are recognised at Government level. It is an attempt to ensure there is cross-sectoral support for people with disabilities and I am greatly pleased to be backed up by people of the stature of Bairbre Nic Aonghusa, who heads up that office, and her most competent staff. I will not go into the background detail except to state the office exists, Members are aware of its functions, it is cross-sectoral and its purpose is to ensure services are provided and there is no delay in waiting for responses from different Departments.

It also is fair to note the Government has prioritised investments in services for people with disabilities in recent years. I make this point in response to the criticism the Government is walking away from the area of disabilities. Overall, approximately €2.6 billion is spent annually by the health service on disability programmes such as the residential, day care, respite, assessment and rehabilitation services, as well as on mental health programmes, domiciliary care and respite care grants and other allowances. It is important to make the point that funding and expenditure in respect of disability issues also is available from the mainstream health services. While the need to enhance further capacity is a continuing challenge, it is important to acknowledge the highly significant existing level of expenditure on health services for people with disabilities.

I do not wish to spend a great deal of time going through my prepared script to state what has been provided because Members are more concerned with what will be provided, except to state that €500 million has been allocated since 2006 under the multi-annual investment programme. Members all will agree this is a key component of the national disability strategy. Of this funding, €425 million was for disability services and €125 million for mental health services. The multi-annual programme will, by the end of 2008, provide for 980 new residential places, 313 new respite places and 2,505 new day places.

As for dealing with people with intellectual disabilities, which is of specific importance to my area of responsibility, 300 additional new places have been provided since 2006, as well as 950,000 additional hours. I make this point only in response to the criticism that the Government has ignored the disability area. While I accept that much more must be done, I will put on the record what has been done.

An area I have come to recognise as being highly important is the need to target the transfer of persons with intellectual disability and autism from psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements. One is not obliged simply to rely on the funding that has been provided in this year's budget. It also is important to recognise that the commitment set out in A Vision for Change clearly underlines the great priority placed on securing appropriate places for people with intellectual disability.

The HSE also is working to improve access to multidisciplinary services, including therapy services, across all disciplines nationwide. It also is worth noting that since the establishment of the executive, the number of speech and language therapists has increased by 235 to 733, which constitutes an increase of 47% in that period. I will respond to the criticism that the Government is ignoring the need for occupational therapists. I also take the points made by Senator Phil Prendergast. While great need obviously exists in some locations, the waiting lists appear to be manageable in other geographical areas. The Department should examine the issue of how waiting periods can obtain in some parts of the country, while demand can be easily managed in other parts. I do not wish to bore Members with the figures but the number of occupational therapists has increased by 326 to 1,031, which constitutes an increase of 46%. Moreover, the number of physiotherapists has increased by 302 to 1,434, which constitutes an increase of 27%. In 2006 and 2007 alone, more than 2,245 additional health and social care professionals, including therapy posts, have been filled to provide services for people with disabilities.

I wish to apologise again in respect of the fiasco last year, when €50 million was provided specifically under the multi-annual investment programme for people with intellectual disabilities. Members will recall the delays involved. The delay was responded to publicly by the HSE and arose from its attempt to check on the efficiency of services. The response last year was not adequate and I assure the House this will not happen again and the funding secured for mental health and the disabilities area will be ring-fenced. I can promise that similar delays will not occur in this area. Of the €50 million, €33 million has been drawn down. To explain, by the time the funding had been cleared, the short gap available in which to recruit people was inadequate. I acknowledge this is my area of responsibility and this delay should not have happened. I again make a commitment to the House that it will not recur. As for services for people with physical and sensory disabilities, 80 additional places have been allocated. I acknowledge the need for more, however.

Senators will note that I did not go overboard in terms of issuing a press release on my Department's success in securing an additional €20 million for children with special educational needs. I recognise that we have all agreed to do everything we can to secure extra services and I am pleased that funding was provided. Of this allocation, €10 million will be provided to the Health Service Executive and €10 million to the Department of Education and Science to enable services for children with special educational needs to be enhanced and strengthened. The additional €10 million allocated to the HSE will provide for 125 additional therapy posts in disability and mental health services targeted at children of school-going age. An additional 90 posts will be created in the disability services area, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists for children's disability services. An additional 35 posts will be created for child and adolescent mental health services, including clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and social workers.

I acknowledge the concerns expressed by Senators in regard to the postponement of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 on foot of the financial constraints placed upon us. The €20 million provided in the budget represents an attempt to establish the necessary services, however. I accept Senator Prendergast's advice in respect of the lack of legal safeguards but we are trying to prepare the ground in order that therapists will be at least in place when the economy improves. Rather than brag about this funding, I recognise the need for the services.

Almost €1 billion is provided each year to non-statutory providers of disability services. Several Senators have raised this issue. Our intention is not to reduce the services provided by non-statutory groups; rather we are trying to streamline them. Streamlining is often regarded as a means of taking back funding but that is not our intention. I have met with a number of these service providers to assure them I am not attempting to withdraw their resources. There are more than 600 different voluntary groups and it is impossible to deal that level of variety. I am in the process of appointing somebody to chair a review of services. That person will be independent of politics and acceptable to the disability and mental health sectors. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, has made clear her intention of providing support to groups while the review process is ongoing. In the event that the services of a particular group overlap and are thus no longer required, she will make available the financial resources required by the group to make its case. We will not awake some morning to discover that 300 groups have been removed form the sector. People will have the opportunity to make their input and, more importantly, the process will take six to nine months and will not be rushed.

In line with the efficiency measures being introduced elsewhere in the health system, an efficiency reduction of 1% will be applied to the allocations of non-statutory disability agencies for 2009. It is envisaged that the efficiencies will be achieved in non-frontline areas such as advertising, travel and subsistence, public relations and management and administrative payroll costs.

Widespread concerns have been expressed regarding the announcement in the budget of a change from 16 to 18 years in respect of the domiciliary care allowance and the subsequent payment of disability allowance. This is not a cute attempt to make savings. One hour is not sufficient time to explain all the details of a budget. Measures should be rolled out long before the Budget Statement, although I do not suggest they should be presented as faits accomplis. While Ministers are properly concerned lest a budgetary provision allowed somebody to make a quick buck, I have proposed to the Taoiseach that we should begin to consider the implications of changes long in advance of the Budget Statement so that people can tease out their implications.

Since the announcement of the changes to the domiciliary care allowance, a number of families and organisations representing people with disabilities have expressed reservations. I will not rehearse the background to the proposal, except to note that my colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, has engaged in extensive consultations with groups representing people with disabilities and service providers in the disability sector in order to hear their concerns at first hand. These discussions confirmed the view that the existing age limit for receipt of disability allowance is too low and should be raised to 18. They also highlighted a number of other concerns, including the potential loss of income at short notice for families of young people with disabilities. I understand the Minister is reflecting on these issues in advance of the publication of the Social Welfare Bill.

Accident and emergency charges will increase from €66 to €100 for non-medical card holders who attend accident and emergency departments without letters from their GPs. Senators will be aware how busy accident and emergency units can become. Although accident and emergency services are designed to provide health care in emergency situations, a significant number of attendances involve the treatment of relatively minor conditions. The increased charge is an attempt to incentivise people to avail of medical care in the community or through their GPs in the first instance. This will enable accident and emergency departments to increasingly concentrate on the management and care of more serious conditions. There will also be an increase of €9 in the public hospital statutory in-patient bed charge, bringing it to €75 per night for a maximum of ten nights per year.

In response to the concerns expressed by Senators regarding the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act, it is important to note that children with special educational needs will continue to receive an education appropriate to their needs. The budget for resource teachers has not been reduced and funding for special needs assistants will be sustained. Several Senators took the view that cuts were being applied in a timid manner or were improperly explained. Transport will continue to be provided and assistive technology will be sanctioned where appropriate. The increase of €302 million in the education budget for 2009 is a real achievement in the current economic climate. Education is one of only three Departments to have increased funding in 2009. This has involved a number of tough and difficult decisions. Some 80% of the education funding will go to salaries and frontline staff.

I hope I have responded to most of the issues raised. This is not an attempt to move after the most vulnerable but to spread scarce resources across the area of education and special needs. If there are further queries I will try to respond later.