Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is an opportunity here. The HSE has a list of 438 fantastic projects that need support. They are predominantly from the community and voluntary sector. Those groups are plugging the gaps and where we have pilots, they should become part and parcel of the support mechanism for the CDNTs. They should be embedded in our communities. That would also give us the opportunity to grow and enhance the universal support we talk about all the time in respect of the progressing disability services, PDS, for children and young people programme.

Where do we go? We go back to the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform as it needs to sanction the funding. At the end of last year, the Department with responsibility for disability had run over budget and with the best will of the CEO there was only so much funding left in the pot at the end of year. He was not allowed to use what was unspent or the time-related savings because there was a deficit. There is a need for emergency funding to be granted to meet the shortfall needed by these community groups that are so valuable. That would enhance the camps we are talking about. I am pushing and pulling every lever and I have no doubt that with the Senator's support and that of the Minister, Deputy O'Donohoe, we could pull more levers.