Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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553. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there is support either financial or otherwise, for a person that was born in a mother and baby home to attend counselling and or to access taxi services to attend counselling. [13971/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The issues raised by the Deputy relate to the provision of health services and as such are policy matters for my colleague the Minister for Health and his Department. I am aware that the Health Service Executive (HSE) does provide counselling services and can provide transport services/supports in certain circumstances to assist patients to access services provided on its behalf. However, eligibility for any support would need to be determined by the HSE.

If the Deputy is in a position to provide my office with additional details of an individual case, including the current service provider, I will certainly make enquiries with the Department of Health on behalf of this person.

Separately, access to health and well being supports is one of the issues to be examined through the Collaborative Forum process which I announced recently. The selection process for members of the Forum is due to commence shortly and participants will drive forward a process to identify and prioritise actions and solutions to issues of concern to them.