Written answers

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Department of Health and Children

Services for People with Disabilities

10:00 am

Photo of Michael McGrathMichael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will respond to a query (details supplied). [39745/09]

Photo of John MoloneyJohn Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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National Quality Standards: Residential Settings for People with Disabilities were published by HIQA in May 2009 but have not yet been approved by the Minister for Health and Children. 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, the 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.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the development of self-assessment tools, providing awareness training for service providers and the introduction of an appropriate level of external validation for relevant settings. In addition, in accordance with the commitment given in the implementation plan for the Ryan Commission Report, the Minister for Health and Children will bring detailed proposals to Government in Autumn 2009 with regard to the protection of vulnerable adults with disabilities who are currently in institutional care.

Children with disabilities in generic residential centres under the Child Care Act, 1991, are covered by the standards and inspection regimes already applying to those centres. There are a further approximately 150 centres offering residential or respite care to approximately 300 children with disabilities. Children who reside in these centres are not in the care of the State, although they are cared for by the State. The majority of these centres are run by voluntary organisations funded by the HSE and are excluded from inspection under the Child Care Act 1991. In relation to the children with disabilities in these other residential centres, the Ryan Commission report recommends that "All services for children should be subject to regular inspections in respect of all aspects of their care".

An implementation plan for the recommendations of the Ryan Commission was submitted to Government by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs which included proposals to implement in full, all the recommendations of the Commission. The implementation plan contains a commitment that the Health Act 2007 will be commenced to allow the independent registration and inspection of all residential centres and respite services for children with a disability by December 2010.

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