David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if it is correct that the most recent national policy specifically for persons with intellectual disabilities was Needs and Abilities, published in 1990; if she is committed to developing a new national policy for persons with intellectual disabilities; if a working group, forum or consultation process will be established to assist in development of same; if she expects work on a new intellectual disability policy will be concluded and a policy document published in 2010; if not, when she expects this policy to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9868/10]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The report 'Needs and Ability' was published in July 1990 and has been supplemented in the intervening years by strategic policy documents and expert reports such as 'Services for People with Autism', Department of Heath (1994), 'A Strategy for Equality- Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities' (1996) and 'Employment Challenges for the Millennium- Report of the National Advisory Committee on Training and Employment' (1997). Notwithstanding the above, the Office for Disability and Mental Health has recognised a need to review and update disability policy to reflect new thinking and international best practice in meeting the needs of all people with disabilities to allow them to live their lives to the full.

The Office for Disability and Mental Health has commenced the process of devising a disability policy, which will focus on supporting people with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, to participate as fully as possible in the social and economic lives of their communities. This work is being advanced as part of the Value for Money and Policy Review on the Disability Services which I announced last September.

The Review, under the independent chairmanship of Mr. Laurence Crowley, has adopted a two-pronged approach. Firstly, it is examining the efficiency and effectiveness of the existing services and whether they are meeting the Government's stated objective that people with a disability are enabled, as far as possible, to live full and independent lives. Secondly, an advisory group of policy experts, under the chairmanship of my Office's Disability Advisor, is putting together a new vision and policy framework for the disability services going forward. A first draft of this new policy framework was considered by the Steering Group at its last meeting on 2nd February. The key themes proposed will be further explored with focus groups of service users in a consultation process facilitated by the National Disability Authority. It is expected that the policy framework will be completed by the Summer, when it will be submitted to the Steering Group for consideration in the context of its overall report, due later this year.

Members of the public were invited to submit their views on the disability services to the Steering Group in December last and almost 200 responses were received. While the closing date for this public consultation has passed, I would be happy to hear from any interested parties who did not get the opportunity to contribute on that occasion.