Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 24: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will introduce a mechanism for independent inspections of care facilities for people with disabilities. [20660/09]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will ringfence funding for the implementation of the Health Information and Quality Authority National Quality Standards for Residential Services for People with Disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20599/09]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when an inspection system to ensure the implementation of the National Quality Standards for Residential Services for People with Disabilities in Ireland will be implemented; if she has allocated funding for this purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20456/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 39 and 55 together.

A Standards Advisory Group was established by HIQA to develop National Quality Standards on Residential Services for People with Disabilities. The Group comprised officials of HIQA, my Department, the HSE, service providers, organisations representing people with disabilities and service users, and met on a number of occasions during 2008. Following a public consultation process initiated by HIQA, the proposed standards were formulated and have now been published. These standards will provide a national framework for quality, safe services for people with disabilities in a residential setting and relate only to adult services at present.

Given the current economic situation, to move to full statutory implementation of the standards, including regulation and inspection, presents significant challenges at this time. However, notwithstanding the difficulties of immediate statutory implementation, my Department, the HSE and HIQA have agreed that progressive implementation of the Standards will now commence, and that they will become the benchmark against which the HSE assesses both its own directly operated facilities and other facilities that the HSE funds. Further discussions will take place regarding the introduction of an appropriate level of external validation for relevant settings.