Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Prosper Fingal is unable to provide a long-term placement to 24 individuals completing short-term training programmes and to 11 people who need long-term placement in a day service; the number of new day places she is funding in 2009; the number in the Dublin area; the policy criteria she sets for the Health Service Executive in allocating places to different service providers; and if she is satisfied that waiting lists throughout the country will not rise under the proposed decisions. [20388/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Expenditure on health services for persons with a disability in 2009 will total around €1.5 billion. €1.1 billion of that funding will be allocated by the Health Services Executive (HSE) to voluntary agencies who provide a range of specialist day, respite, and residential services. My colleague Minister Harney's policy with regard to the allocation of this funding is that it is a matter for the HSE to arrange for the delivery of the maximum range, quality and quantum of services practicable within available resources. The HSE may to do this by direct service provision or by the allocation of funding to those service providers who in its judgment provide a best fit in terms of the quality and content of the services on offer and the needs of the service user, taking into account factors such as the geographical location of the service provider and the identified service need, together with best use of existing organizational capacity, staffing and funding.

The Deputy's specific question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply.