Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 195: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the respite house run by the Brothers of Charity for persons with intellectual disabilities in the mid-west, which is located at Clonile, Limerick, will re-open; if she will ensure that this question is not transferred to the Health Service Executive for reply in view of the fact that she, the Taoiseach and the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability are all aware of the issue and have indicated that they are working to resolve it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31232/10]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Respite services throughout the country are being reviewed on an ongoing basis, and the majority of Local Health Offices have reported that services are being maintained. In all areas, Disability Managers are working closely with agencies to ensure that those with the most urgent need for respite services are prioritised.

I am fully aware of the challenges which the reduction in allocations will present to organisations in ensuring they meet the needs of service users and in planning for emergencies that arise throughout the year. I also recognise that maintaining service levels within available resources will require significant levels of co-operation, change, flexibility and creativity, but I firmly believe that it can be done.

I have met with the HSE Assistant National Director responsible for disability services on a number of occasions in recent weeks to discuss the emerging challenges in the voluntary intellectual disability sector. I have asked the HSE to confirm that the reduction in financial allocations to the voluntary agencies in the disability sector has been applied consistently across all HSE regions and in line with the reductions applied elsewhere in the health services. Furthermore, I have requested that the HSE validate, as a matter of urgency, the methodology used by it to calculate the reductions in allocations for the various agencies. I have also noted that a majority of service providers are continuing to provide respite services, despite the reductions in their allocations.

I wish to advise the House that Minister Harney and I met with the Brothers of Charity Services yesterday, together with senior officials from the HSE and the Department of Health and Children, to discuss the importance of maintaining frontline services for people with disabilities. The outcome of that meeting was a clear undertaking on all sides to work in partnership so that frontline services such as respite care can be maintained.

With regard to the specific services mentioned by the Deputy, the overall budget for the Brothers of Charity services in the Limerick area is €25 million. The Brothers have indicated that the respite service can be largely restored for €150,000 in the current year. The Brothers of Charity indicated yesterday that they would work with the HSE to ensure this happens.