Seanad debates

Tuesday, 28 November 2017

Commencement Matters

Disability Services Provision

2:30 pm

Photo of Denis O'DonovanDenis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. There were three health issues raised. As the Minister of State was coming to the House I decided we would deal with the health issues. I have been considering that if there are a number of health issues or education issues and there is a Minister coming to the House we might as well deal with two or three of the topics. Senator Murnane O'Connor has four minutes and if she can do it in less I would appreciate it.

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State. The Holy Angels Day Care Centre was opened in Carlow in 1978 in the basement of Carlow's old district hospital by a Presentation nun, Sister Columba. She was given a cheque then for £100 by the South Eastern Health Board and, with the names of five children with special needs from the local area, Holy Angels was set up to provide a day care service for children with special needs of preschool age.

In 1983, the present centre at Strawhall was purchased at a price of £52,000 and prefabs were put on the site to accommodate the children. In 2005, a needs assessment was carried out and the school was told that the current site would not allow for expansion due to the amount of children it looked after. In 2007, Holy Angels received a donation of a site from a private individual. Following that, the HSE assigned a design team to draw up plans.

In 2011, the HSE told Holy Angels the project would go to tender. In 2012, the HSE advised Holy Angels that in order for the work to commence, the HSE had to own the site. In February 2015, a delegation from Holy Angels met with the then Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in Carlow. The Minister said that he could not believe that the HSE needed to own the site.

There are currently 35 children in Holy Angels ranging in age from 18 months up to six years with a waiting list of over 20. Holy Angels is waiting 11 years for the capital funding for its new school. It has been overlooked for years and is at a stage where it cannot expand or take in children who need to attend the school. It has gone from the basement of an old hospital to prefabs and is still in prefabs 39 years on. This is 2017 and we have children with special needs in prefabs. These are the most vulnerable children in our society who have been forgotten. This is unacceptable. Holy Angels has a great manager and staff with a great fundraising committee who have been fundraising in order to help with the building of the new school which will cost approximately €400,000.

I joined the board last year and I see the great work that is being done on the board and the great work that the school does. The current situation is unacceptable. After 11 years there is need for the capital funding that was already committed as the prefabs are no longer suitable. I appeal to the Minister to give us the funding after 39 years. Last year I tabled a Commencement matter for the Minister, Deputy Harris, and he came to Carlow. Urgent work needed to be done. The roof was leaking, the doors needed to be repaired and the floorboards needed to be replaced. He gave us €150,000 about eight months ago. However, that was short term. It is not acceptable now and it is not going to last. The prefabs are not going to hold for much longer. We have a massive waiting list in Holy Angels. We need the capital funding and we need to provide the preschool for these special needs children that are 39 years waiting for their school. I thank the Minister of State.

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank Senator Murnane O'Connor for raising this very important issue regarding disability services. I also want to welcome the fact that she has raised the issue of funding for Holy Angels Day Care Centre. I would like to outline the current position on this important matter.Health capital funding was outlined in the recently published, public Estimates for 2018, and the HSE is currently developing its capital plan for 2018 to 2021. A project brief for the replacement children's disability services, to include the Holy Angels preschool element, was submitted to the national HSE capital steering group which agreed to recommend the project, in principle, subject to amendments to the brief and the preschool element. The revised brief and schedule of accommodation was subsequently submitted to the national capital steering group in September 2017 for noting at the next capital steering group meeting. I understand that the October 2017 meeting has been rescheduled to the first quarter of 2018 and the date remains to be confirmed. Following the meeting in early 2018 the prioritisation and funding allocation of this project will be considered in relation to other service priorities and projects already approved. Minor capital funding has been made available to undertake the essential maintenance on the existing premises and those minor capital works were completed.

The HSE has recognised that the first class early intervention services and service for school age children with disabilities are paramount. We accept that argument. The HSE is currently engaged in the reconfiguration of the existing therapy resources under the national programme on progressing disability services for children and young people up to 18 years. The aims of the programme are to bring about equity of access to disability services and consistency of service delivery with the clear pathway for children and their families to disability services regardless of where they live, what school the child attends and the nature of the individual child's difficulties. Significant resources have been invested by the health sector in disability services in recent years, including the additional €31 million secured last year. I will bring back Senator Murnane O'Connor's concerns to the Department, the HSE and the Minister. As she said, €150,000 was provided as an interim measure and we do need to act on this matter.

Photo of Denis O'DonovanDenis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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That was a very constructive response. Senator Murnane O'Connor should be very brief.

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail)
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I am disappointed because I was hoping for clarification today. The school was originally founded in a hospital basement 39 years ago and it progressed to prefabs. It is unacceptable to have babies and young children in prefabs. Those children are the most vulnerable in the community. The Holy Angels centre does a marvellous job. The staff are excellent and the children are getting the best care they can in the circumstances. I urge the Minister of State to provide a commitment on the issue. I am disappointed but I will pursue the issue until we get the funding. A new school is needed for the Holy Angels centre.

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I fully accept the Senator's point. I know she has been pursuing this issue for a long time. I commend the staff at the Holy Angels centre who are doing an excellent job. I give Senator Murnane O'Connor a commitment that I will go back to the senior Minister in the Department of Health and try to make this a priority issue.

Photo of Denis O'DonovanDenis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, will communicate directly with the Senator. In fairness this is her third of fourth time to raise the issue.