Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects to offer core funding to a centre (details supplied) in County Kildare having particular regard to the essential day care and back up services provided by the centre for persons with special needs arising from disability or infirmity; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that it is four years since any such allocation has been made and that there are daily increasing demands on the services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21528/07]

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware an additional sum of €75 million for revenue purposes was provided to the Health Service Executive for Disability Services in the 2007 Budget. This sum incorporates the 2007 element of the Government's multi-annual investment programme for the National Disability Strategy. This Strategy is committed to enhancing the level and range of multi-disciplinary support services to adults and children with an intellectual disability.

With regard to the issue of deficit funding, additional funding of €10 million was provided in the 2006 Budget and €5 million was provided in the 2007 Budget to address core under funding and core staffing issues in services for people with disabilities provided by the voluntary sector.

As the allocation of funding, including core deficit funding, is a matter for the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.