Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 163: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the shortfall in funding for disability services that will be experienced in 2008 due to a failure to match payments from her Department to increases in inflation, food and fuel charges and staff costs; the number of disability services in south Tipperary that were not awarded the full revenue funding for 2008; if this includes residential services and schools providing essential services to people with disabilities; the way they are expected to make up this shortfall; the action the Health Service Executive will take to combat deficits within these services; if this means that fewer people with disabilities will be able to avail of respite, residential and day services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28049/08]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) submits to the Minister for Health and Children each year a National Service Plan (NSP), which represents the level of services which the HSE is committed to providing given the funding which the Dáil has made available to it as part of the Estimates process.

The Health Service Executive submitted its 2008 NSP in November 2007, which was approved. The plan provides for the delivery of the existing level of service which the HSE will provide in 2008. The HSE has also submitted an Addendum to the NSP which sets out the new developments and service priorities identified and agreed by Government and which were announced in Budget 2008.

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. €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.