John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1085. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for more supports and services for those that are deafblind here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20590/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1086. To ask the Minister for Health when the Government plans to recognise deafblindness as a condition requiring State supports and services that are different to those already in place to support those that are visually or hearing impaired; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20591/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1087. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to respond to a centre (details supplied) advocating increased provision of specific supports for those with combined hearing and vision loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20592/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1088. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to recognise deafblindness as a separate disability to deafness and blindness and reflect this recognition in policy and legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20593/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1089. To ask the Minister for Health if he will ensure that all deafblind persons have equal opportunity to participate fully in society, in line with the commitments set down in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in addition to the measures contained in EU written declaration on the rights of deafblind persons Declaration 1/2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20594/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1090. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for a process of early intervention and assessment by a deafblind specialist for deafblind children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20595/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1092. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for the provision of rehabilitation supports in order that persons with acquired deafblindness are provided with the necessary equipment and aids to support them to live independently and comfortable in their own homes; when training of personnel that work with deafblind persons will be provided which is of critical importance in providing to them the ability to communicate and transfer information to a person with combined hearing and vision impairments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20597/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1093. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that deafblind persons have access to assistive technologies that facilitate their access to information and expression (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20598/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for the provision of professional agencies that will offer professional support services (details supplied) which are crucial to long term optimum and social development of children and young persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20599/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1095. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to integrate deafblind persons to work successfully in professional jobs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20600/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1096. To ask the Minister for Health the details of policies his department is developing to reflect the fact that deafblindness is a growing concern, that more children are surviving premature and childhood illnesses and persons are living longer than ever; the details of policies the Government are developing to reflect the fact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20601/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1097. To ask the Minister for Health the early intervention provisions for deafblind persons (details supplied) by a deafblind specialist that are in place within his department or the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20602/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1098. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken by his Department to ensure a better understanding of deafblindness by health and social care practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20603/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1099. To ask the Minister for Health the data his Department has been compiling on the population of deafblind persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20604/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 1085 to 1090, inclusive, 1092 and 1094 to 1099, inclusive, together.

The Government currently provides funding of over €1.69 billion to the Disability Services Programme through the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2017. Persons with disabilities, including deaf-blindness, can access a broad range of acute, primary and community based health services, as well as specialist disability services, which are provided in a variety of community and residential settings in partnership with service users, their families and carers and a range of statutory and non-statutory groups.

Funding for The Anne Sullivan Foundation for Deaf-Blind is provided by the HSE under Section 39 of the Health Act, 2004. The HSE’s Social Care Division Operational Plan indicates that €2.56 million has been assigned to the Foundation in 2017 for the provision of supports to people who are deaf-blind.

The Minister for Health does not classify specific medical illnesses or conditions as a disability. There are a number of definitions of disability that are used for particular purposes e.g. the Disability Act, Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, Equal Status Act, Employment Equality Acts and qualifying criteria for income supports such as Domiciliary Care Allowance and Disability Allowance etc. These definitions describe disability in terms of an individual's functional ability in their environment, rather than a medical diagnosis or a named condition.

The Comprehensive Employment Strategy, which is led by the Department of Justice, sets out a ten-year approach to ensuring that people with disabilities, who are able to, and want to work are supported and enabled to do so.

The Department of Justice and Equality has the lead responsibility for the Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities.

Deaf-blindness is not currently listed as a separate condition on the National Physical and Sensory Disability Database (NPSDD). However, syndromes related to a combination of deafness and blindness could be included in the future.

In January 2015 the HSE published new guidelines giving practical guidelines to all health and social care staff on how they can provide accessible services to patients and clients with a disability. The guidelines were developed by the HSE in partnership with the National Disability Authority. Access to services, as covered in the guidelines, is wide-ranging and relates to all aspects of access including accessible information.

As the Deputy's questions also relate to service matters, I have arranged for the questions to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.