Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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566. To ask the Minister for Health if he will instruct that the Health Service Executive will ensure that the service level agreements signed with disability providers for 2015 will allocate 5% to 8% of their block grant to individualised, person-centered, community-based models of support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49657/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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In line with Government policy, disability providers are delivering an increasing proportion of services and supports which are individualised, person-centred and community-based from the block grants allocated to them by the HSE. The HSE is actively working with disability providers towards the migration of more services in 2015 to this person-centred supports model.

The Government’s policy is this area is set out inthe Report of the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services in Ireland (VFM Review), which recommends migration from an approach which is predominantly organised around group-based service delivery towards a model of person-centred and individually chosen community-based supports underpinned by a more effective method of assessing need, allocating resources and monitoring resource use.

The implementation of the recommendations in the VFM Review has been given priority in the HSE’s National Service Planfor 2015. A number of HSE working groups established to support the reform process will continue their work during 2015 on a range of inter-connected and challenging projects which will support and drive the move to a more personalised and socially inclusive service.

Key priorities for the HSE in 2015 which will progress the move towards greater individualisation of service delivery include:

- Progress on the reconfiguration of residential services, which will support people to move from institutional settings to the community in line with their person-centred plans and in full consultation with the individuals and their families;

- Provision of new day services and supports to approximately 1,400 young people with continuing support needs who are due to leave school and rehabilitative (life-skills) programmes in 2015 and measures to ensure that these new placements are individualised and person-centred. €6m additional funding has been allocated in 2015 (at a full year cost of €12m) for these new placements;

- Progress on the reconfiguration of adult day services towards a model of person-centred supports.