David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 231: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the yearly expenditure to date on the National Disability Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39270/08]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The National Disability Strategy provides a framework of supports for people with disabilities. The main elements of the Strategy are:

Disability Act, 2005;

Education for persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004;

Sectoral Plans published in 2006 by six Government Departments;

Citizens Information Act, 2007.

The National Disability Strategy specifically provides for a targeted Investment Programme, which was announced in the 2005 Budget, of some €900m capital and revenue funding for the period 2006 to 2009, to build capacity in priority areas of support services for people with disabilities.

In respect of the health element of the National Disability Strategy, additional funding of €75m was allocated in both 2006 and 2007 and €50m in 2008. In the 2008 Budget, €50m was provided to the Health Service Executive (HSE) to fund a range of additional services under the Multi Annual Investment Programme for Disability. Although the commencement of the planned developments in disability services this year had been delayed due to a financial review, I am pleased to inform you that the Executive has informed the Department of Health and Children that it is now in the process of rolling out the planned developments. The HSE has indicated that due to the delayed start to some of these developments, it expects to spend €33m of the €50m by the end of 2008. The resulting €17m time related savings were included in this Department's budgetary consolidation measures announced to the House in July 2008.

In Budget 2009, an additional €10m was allocated to the HSE. The funding for 2009 will provide for 90 additional therapy posts in the disability services area, targeted at children of school going age.

With regard to the yearly expenditure incurred to date on the health element of the National Disability Strategy, this is a matter for the Health Service Executive. Accordingly, 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.