Tony Mulcahy (Fine Gael)

I wish everybody a happy new year. I am delighted we will have a debate on disability but that debate should be as informed as possible. On her second visit to the House the Minister outlined that she was carrying out a value for money audit of disability service providers, in particular those who provide intellectual disability services, and the cost of running those businesses on a day to day basis. I ask the Leader to use the auspices of his good office to ensure that report is made available to us prior to any debate in the House because relevant to the entire debate on the intellectual disability sector is the cost of the provision of service to that sector and its value for money.

What also must be outlined is the payments to the chief executive officers and senior management within those organisations. It is very important that those payments are put on the public record to allow us have an informed debate in this House. In excess of €1.2 billion is being provided for the provision of those services to what is a relatively small number of people. We should not have a debate on the rights of people with disability, which is important, but on the quality and value for money of the service we are providing. That may allow us provide a far better service with effectively the same amount of money. I ask the Leader to write to the Minister to ensure we have that report prior to her arrival in the House.