John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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425. To ask the Minister for Health the action he is taking to resolve the issues being experienced by the employees of a centre (details supplied) relative to decongregation and their redeployment; if he will approve a redundancy package in cases in which alternative employment cannot be found within the HSE; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that for a considerable length of time and through no fault of their own some employees turn up for work but do not have work to do; his views on the fact that management in the HSE are prepared to accept such poor value for taxpayers money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37438/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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The Report “Time to Move on from Congregated Settings – A Strategy for Community Inclusion” proposes a new model of support in the community moving people from Congregated settings to the community in line with Government policy. The Report identified around 4000 people (based on 2008 census) with disabilities in Ireland living in congregated settings, defined as a residential setting where people live with ten or more people.  

The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to continue to move people with disabilities out of congregated settings, to enable them to live independently and to be included in the community.  The objective is to reduce this figure by one-third by 2021 and ultimately, to eliminate all congregated settings.

The HSE has prioritised the transition of a further 160 people from congregated settings in 2019 under its Service Plan. 

The HSE is responsible for leading out on the recommendations of "Time to Move on from Congregated Settings - A Strategy for Community Inclusion". In this regard, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy