Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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355. To ask the Minister for Health if he has met the Minister of State with special responsibility for disability issues to discuss the impact of the lack of home help hours being allocated and its impact on persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26223/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The HSE provides a range of assisted living services including Personal Assistant (PA) and Home Support services to support individuals with disabilities to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives. These are related but separate services and each is funded separately. While the resources for the provision of assisted living services available are substantial they are finite.

PA and Home Support Services are provided either directly by the HSE or through a range of voluntary service providers. The majority of specialised disability provision (80%) is delivered through non-statutory sector service providers.

The HSE is committed to protecting the level of Home Support services available to persons with disabilities. In the 2019 Service Plan, the HSE’s priority is to provide 3.08 million home support hours to 8,094 people with a disability, representing an increase of 150,000 hours over the 2018 target of 2.93 million hours.

I can assure the Deputy that both the Minister for Health and myself are fully aware of the situation and are fully committed to the level of supports provided to people with disabilities.