Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

483. To ask the Minister for Health his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding intellectual disability services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5689/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Government policy is to enable young people with disabilities and autism to develop the skills they will need to live independent lives to the greatest extent possible, and to receive the supports they need in order to achieve this. In 2016 the Government is providing a total of €1.56 billion for health-funded disability services including day services for approximately 22,000 people at 850 different locations. In addition, around 1,500 young people with autism and disabilities will leave school or complete their rehabilitative (life-skills) training this year and will require continuing health-funded supports.

The process of planning for the needs of this year’s school-leavers and rehabilitative training graduates is at an advanced stage, and to ensure their needs are met, funding of €7.25m is being allocated by the HSE to provide appropriate services and supports. Once off funding of €2 million is also being provided for the refurbishment and fit-out of buildings to provide suitable service locations. A standardised process for the identification of support needs has been put in place and a profiling exercise has now been completed with each individual in order to ascertain their needs and preferences.

Disability service provision, including continuing support services for young people with autism, is moving towards a community-based and inclusive model of person-centred supports. The migration to a personal supports model was recommended in the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services in Ireland (VFM Review), and is being implemented through theTransforming Livesprogramme. This transformation programme means that person-centred and individually chosen community based supports are progressively becoming the norm, and is a distinct move away from the group-based, often segregated approach of the past. The new approach will be underpinned by a more effective method of assessing need, allocating resources and monitoring resource use.

Under the overarching Transforming Livesframework, a complex range of inter-related projects are under way to implement different elements of the person-centred supports model. Service providers are actively engaging in delivering services which have a person-centred focus, with person-centred planning now widely implemented, along with an increase in the delivery of community based day and residential support services. Service providers are also taking practical steps to support and actively engage with people with disabilities in community settings and are exploring new and innovative ways of doing this.

The allocation of dedicated capital funding of €100m for disability services over the period 2016–2021, together with the establishment of the Service Reform Fund agreed between Atlantic Philanthropies, the DoH, HSE (Social Care and Mental Health Services) and Genio will support the phased transition to the person-centred model of services and supports.