Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I am pleased to have this opportunity to address the issues raised by Senator Keaveney. I emphasise the Government's steadfast commitment to people with disabilities and to the national disability strategy and its long-term goals and objectives, which we will continue to pursue in the coming years in partnership with all the key stakeholders. The co-ordination and planning of services to meet the needs of people with disabilities form a central tenet of the strategy. A critical element of such co-ordination and planning is the requirement to provide financial support for the development and implementation of services.

Significant investment has taken place in mental health services in line with the report, A Vision for Change. This includes the development of community mental health teams and a significant expansion of child and adolescent mental health teams, which has led to an increase in the number of psychiatrists and therapists employed. The Health Service Executive, HSE, aims to provide access to therapy services that are of a high quality, sustainable and orientated towards optimal outcome. A range of therapeutic supports are provided for people with mental health difficulties, people with disabilities, including autism, and other service users. The provision of such therapies depends upon the assessed needs of an individual. Likewise, significant funding has been allocated in recent years under the multi-annual investment programme, which facilitated the prioritisation of therapy services in specialist disability services. Since 2005, there has been and increase of approximately 397 whole-time equivalents in the level of multidisciplinary supports, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists being employed in specialist disability services.

The Disability Act 2005, which commenced on 1 June 2007 for children aged five years or younger, sets out a legal footing for the assessment of children who have the right to have their needs assessed within specific timelines. The Act also gives people with disabilities, including autism, who meet the criteria set out in the Act the right to a statement from the HSE setting out the services that will be provided to meet the needs identified in the assessment report.

The HSE recognises the importance of providing therapy services and the significance of a multidisciplinary approach in their provision. While the HSE recognises the benefits of specific therapies such as music therapy, this form of therapy are not among the range of therapies that are frequently selected to meet the assessed needs of individuals.

As the Senator is aware, music, drama, art and dance are collectively known as creative arts therapies. Creative arts therapists work on an ad hoc basis in a variety of health care and educational settings. There is no formal grade of creative arts therapist within the health service. The current professional status of such grades has been the subject of ongoing discussions between the Department of Health and Children and the HSE. A business case regarding the establishment of a grade of creative arts therapist was submitted by the HSE to the Department of Health and Children last year. It was examined and the Department requested further detailed clarification from the national HR directorate of the HSE to quantify and document fully the level of service being provided by persons within the health service currently undertaking work similar to that of the creative arts therapist. The detailed information requested is being awaited and, as such, the process has yet to be finalised.

However, as the Senator is aware, the significant demands on all public services are increasing and the priority for our health services in respect of disability services will be the provision of clinical therapies. This does not detract from the importance of such therapies as music, art and drama to an individual's quality of life, but it signals the need for prioritisation.

I reaffirm the Government's commitment to people with disabilities, the national disability strategy and its long-term goals and objectives, which we will continue to pursue in the coming years in partnership with all the key stakeholders.