Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 326: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the parents of children suffering from intellectual disability whose children until the end of the 2007/2008 school year attended a school (details supplied) have been informed that the rehabilitative training programme in which the children were to participate from September 2008 in a day care centre will not be available due to lack of funding; the reason persons suffering from intellectual disabilities are being targeted by Government cutbacks; and if she will take steps to restore this essential service. [27057/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Multi Annual Investment Programme for Disability Services makes provision for the development of additional residential, respite places and day care places each year between 2006 and 2009 for people with Intellectual Disability and Autism and additional residential care and home support services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. Some €50m was provided to the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2008 to fund a range of additional services under the Multi Annual Investment Programme for Disability.

As the Deputy will be aware, the commencement of the planned developments in disability services this year had been delayed due to a financial review in the HSE. However, I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that the HSE has assured me that it is now in a position to roll out the planned developments as outlined in its 2008 Service Plan.

Planned services include additional residential, day care — including training places — and respite care places for people with intellectual disability and autism; additional residential care and home support services for people with physical and sensory disabilities; and additional multi-disciplinary therapy posts to provide assessment and ongoing intervention services to children with a disability.

I understand that the HSE hopes to be able to finalise the position in relation to the commencement of such developments over the next week.

My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the specific matter raised by the Deputy investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.