Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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473. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made to date in establishing the task force to examine the issue of personalised budgets, as committed to in the programme for Government; if the commitment to establish this task force within three months of the formation of the Government, will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20730/16]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The establishment of a Task Force on Personalised Budgets is a key element in the Programme for Government’s commitment to give people with disabilities greater control, independence and choice. Personalised budgets transfer control back to the individual and give them the freedom to source the services and supports which best meet their needs.

While the concept of personalised budgets is not limited to health and personal social services, my view is that the Task Force should concentrate on personalised budgets for services for people with disabilities funded by the HSE in the first instance. Some work has already commenced on scoping how to introduce individualised budgets in health-funded disability services as part of the Transforming Livesreform programme and the Task Force will build on this work.

I am committed to setting up the Task Force as soon as possible, and I am in the process of finalising my plans in that regard. I intend to inform the Government of my decision on the Chair of the Task Force by the end of this month. I also intend to outline to Government on that occasion my plans for the appointment of members to the Task Force, and my plans for the development of the terms of reference, objectives, scope and key deliverables. With the support of the Government I will then proceed to appoint the members and arrange for the first meeting as soon as practicable.