Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of adults and children residing in residential centres for people with disabilities; the list of these centres; when she will introduce legislation to regulate and inspect residential centres for people with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20280/10]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when residential centres for persons with disabilities will be subject to inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20199/10]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 109 together.

I wish to advise the Deputies that, due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive, it is not possible for the Executive to supply current information in relation to the number of adults and children residing in residential centres for people with disabilities.

As the Deputies will be aware, "National Quality Standards: Residential Settings for People with Disabilities", which relate to adult services have been published by HIQA. These standards will provide a national framework for quality, safe services for persons with disabilities in a residential setting.

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 non-statutory 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.

A number of preliminary processes are already in place within the HSE to facilitate this work. For example, compliance with the HIQA standards is included in the Service Level Arrangements being implemented between the HSE and service providers. As part of the ongoing review of Service Level Arrangements, service providers will now be required to demonstrate compliance with the standards through the provision of audit outcomes. I am informed by the HSE that the majority of service providers have already commenced a review of their services within the context of the HIQA standards and many service providers have also achieved external accreditation over the past number of years.

In addition, arising from the Ryan Commission report, the Minister for Health and Children will shortly be bringing detailed proposals to Government 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 number of other centres providing residential or respite care to 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 not included in the inspection regime 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". The implementation plan for the recommendations of the Ryan Commission report 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.

In addition, I am assured by the HSE that it has a robust system in place to deal with any complaints made in relation to the treatment of persons with disabilities in residential care. This includes ensuring that all HSE funded service providers of residential care have appropriate complaints procedures that are in line with HSE policy.