Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Moran, on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, for raising this matter and I am pleased to take this opportunity to outline the current position regarding St. John of God north-east services. As the Senator is aware, St. John of God services provides services to adults and children with an intellectual disability. These services include residential, respite and day services. St. John of God north-east services is funded by the HSE under section 38 of the Health Act, 2004. Services are provided through a service arrangement which is signed on an annual basis and reviewed continually. St. John of God north-east services received significant funding from the HSE of €27.7 million in 2011.

As the Deputy is aware, the disability budget nationally was cut by 3.7% in 2012. The Health Service Executive national service plan states that at least 2% of this should not impact on services and needs to be generated from other savings and increased efficiencies. The HSE has advised me that there will be a maximum reduction of 1.7% in the funding for day, residential and respite services in the north east. The HSE is working in Dublin north east to address the 2% savings required by improving integration of staffing levels and skill mix between day, transport and residential respite services to achieve cost reductions safely, with minimal impact on front line services. The HSE has assured me that it will endeavour to ensure that residential, day, respite and personal assistant services are protected where possible from reductions in front line services. However, some reductions in services will be unavoidable, even with such efficiencies. The aim will be to tailor such reductions in a way which minimises the impact on service users and their families as much as possible.

As a first step, the HSE has indicated a general reduction of 3.7% from the budget of disability agencies, pending the outcome of its discussions at a local level with individual agencies. I recognise the valuable contribution St. John of God services make to the provision of services to people with intellectual disabilities in the Louth, Monaghan and Meath areas. The HSE is very much aware of the challenges service providers, including St. John of God north-east services, are experiencing, and the particular difficulties facing all health services in 2012. It is vital that all providers work creatively and co-operatively to ensure the maximum level of services is maintained for service users within the funding resources available. In this context, the HSE is in ongoing active discussions with St. John of God services to minimise the impact of the budget reductions on services and clients.