Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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486. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to provide appropriate school leaver places to the large number of young adults with autism who are leaving school services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5721/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The process of planning for the needs of around 1,500 young people with disabilities and autism who will require continuing health-funded supports on leaving school or rehabilitative (life-skills) training this year commenced in September 2015. To ensure these 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 by September, based on an assessment of the physical capacity within existing services to accommodate the additional numbers. 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.

It is expected that the funding allocation for each young person based on their individual support needs will be communicated to service providers by the end of May so as to facilitate a September commencement date, and the young people and their families will be informed of the placement which will be available to them.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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487. To ask the Minister for Health the number of school leavers accessing autism services in each of the years 2012 to 2016 to date, in tabular form; the projected number of placements required in each of the years 2017 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5722/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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488. To ask the Minister for Health the measures he is taking to plan for the appropriate care and service provision for young adults and school leavers with autism for the next five years and for the next ten years; the long-term support services in place for persons with different levels of autism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5723/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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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 commenced in September 2015. 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 by September, based on an assessment of the physical capacity within existing services to accommodate the additional numbers. 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 persons with different levels of 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.