Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Seán Power, is well acquainted with Myshall as his uncle lives in Newtown. The matter I raise has had a chequered history although, thankfully, it is now going in the right direction. The house for the centre is on the outskirts of Myshall village and was bought by the OPW in 2000 to be used as a refugee centre. That did not happen and the house was eventually given to the South Eastern Health Board. The health board did not want it but ended up with a property that has cost a fortune in maintenance and security in the meantime.

A group in Carlow is willing to establish a centre for adults with autism in the house. The Minister might be familiar with the Dunfirth centre in his constituency. I visited the centre recently with a group of parents from the Carlow and south-east area, along with Maria Dollard who is involved in the association. We saw at first hand the excellent work being done in Dunfirth with adults with autism. The adults work in workshops at baking, woodwork, ceramics and so forth. People with an autism spectrum disorder have a great affinity with nature and animals. Dunfirth provides them with an environment that benefits them. It is planned to provide a replica of Dunfirth, which is on the Kildare-Meath border, in Myshall.

The HSE has been involved in this process for some time but it appears to be putting the onus on the parents to do the work. That is wrong because there are people in the HSE who are assigned responsibility in this area. In July 2003 an independent review of autism facilities in the south east was carried out. The review estimated there were over 3,000 cases of autism in the south-east region. At least 50 of these are suitable for the proposed facility in Myshall. If the centre in Myshall was up and running there would be no difficulty is identifying possible clients for it and it would be able to grow.

It is important that parents have a facility for children with Asperger's syndrome or autism as a follow-up to the great work being done by the Delta centre in Carlow and by other similar organisations. The Minister will be familiar with the work being done in Holy Angels in Carlow, as well as in the Delta centre. The problem is that once the children turn 18, there is no other place for them.

Despite two famous court cases, the Jamie Sinnott case and the Marie O'Donoghue case, the Department appears to have learned nothing. The review of services for autism in the south east clearly specifies the need to develop, as a priority, appropriate services for adults with ASD. The good news is that a site has been identified in Myshall and it is in the ownership of the HSE. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, whose Department is responsible for providing the grant to get the centre up and running, has indicated he will provide funding for the project. The HSE will be responsible for running the centre.

The project must be moved forward. Expressions of interest should be sought. That documentation has been ready since last August but it has not been progressed. The group involved with the project is interested in owning the property and developing it or in taking up a long-term lease, once it can get a guarantee that the HSE in 20 or 30 years time will not evict the residents. The group is happy to enter into any agreement that is acceptable to the HSE or the Department. Obviously, the group will link with local organisations such as the Delta centre in Carlow town and with the excellent work being done by BEAM in Bagenalstown.

Everything is ready to go. It is just a question of developing the site, which has turned into an eyesore and is falling into dereliction. There are seven acres with the house and the local community has indicated that there will be no difficulty leasing additional land if required. I hope the Minister can give an update on the progress being made on this project. The parents have been waiting years for this facility. I hope the Minister will use his influence in the Department to prioritise it so we will see action on it within six months.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Browne for raising the matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline to the House the position regarding the additional funding provided for services for children and adults with disabilities in 2006.

Under the Multi-Annual Investment Programme 2006-2009, which is part of the national disability strategy, additional funding amounting to €51.5 million is being provided by the Government in 2006 to meet costs associated with the provision of certain specific high profile disability services. With regard to services for persons with intellectual disability and those with autism, this includes 255 new residential places, 85 new respite places, 535 new day places and the continuation of the implementation of the transfer of persons with intellectual disability or autism from psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements.

In addition to the services mentioned above, further funding of €22.5 million is being provided in 2006. This funding has been allocated to enhance the multi-disciplinary support services for children and adults with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities and those with autism and to address core underfunding and core staffing issues in services for people with disabilities provided by the voluntary sector. Capital funding amounting to €45 million has also been provided in 2006 to put in place the infrastructural supports associated with the above mentioned developments.

The Health Act 2004 provided for the Health Service Executive, which was established on 1 January 2005. Under the Act, the executive has the responsibility to manage and deliver or arrange to be delivered on its behalf health and personal social services. This includes the responsibility for the funding of new or enhanced levels of health and personal social services.

With regard to the matter raised by the Senator, the Health Service Executive has informed my Department that it has been proposed that an unused property and grounds, owned by the Health Service Executive south-eastern area, in Myshall, County Carlow, be used to facilitate the development of day and residential services for people with autism. To determine whether a service of this nature can be developed in Myshall, the Health Service Executive advertised recently requesting expressions of interest from service providers to indicate service proposals for autism specific residential services. The expression of interest process and submissions must include an assessment by potential service providers of the option of using this property. Alternative options may be submitted but consideration of the use of the above property is a requirement.

The Health Service Executive further states that a short-listing process will take place following the closing date for receipt of expressions of interest. A more detailed consideration of the proposals will then follow. The final option for the use of the property at Myshall will be pursued as part of the Health Service Executive south-eastern area's multi-annual planning for service developments in the context of approved new development funding and the established arrangements through the regional consultative committee for intellectual disability.

Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)
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Some people were deterred from giving expressions of interest, as they were required to have a proven record in the area. While many people would be interested in getting such a facility operational using Dunfirth as a model, they would not have a proven record in the area. Not having a proven record in the area should not debar applicants. It is more important that they show a commitment to do it, and learn from the Dunfirth example and improve on it if possible.

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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It is a matter for the Health Service Executive when it comes to seeking tenders or expressions of interest. If we were to equate it to these Houses, many of us would never become Members if we were required to have experience before coming here.

Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)
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Exactly.