Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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137. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that recent requests by service users to be allowed membership of the group company of an organisation (details supplied) and to have representatives on the board have been refused; if the organisation will be instructed to accept the request by service users for membership of the company and board representation in view of the report by the independent review group examining the role of voluntary organisations and recommendations in the report that such services should be service user centred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37758/19]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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NCBI is a not for profit charitable organisation which provides support and services nationwide to people experiencing sight loss. The overall aim of NCBI services is to enable people to live an independent life of their choice.

NCBI provide services to over 7,000 people every year. Almost 95% of these people have some degree of useful vision while less than 5% are blind.

NCBI offers community based services to help people to adapt to sight loss and maintain their independence. These services include emotional support to the individual experiencing loss of vision and to their families, advice and information on all aspects of vision loss as well as practical support and solutions to the challenges encountered by people with vision loss. Services are offered to people of all ages, from birth through to older age.

NCBI also provide a range of services to public and private organisations to make sure that their services are accessible to people who are blind and vision impaired.

NCBI advises government departments, companies and individuals on how to make the built environment and services accessible to people with sight loss.

HSE Disability Services fund NCBI, under Section 39 of the Health Act to provide a range of centre, domiciliary and community based services to people who are blind or vision impaired. This funding is governed by a Service Arrangement, which identifies service delivery provided by the agency in return for the money being provided to them.

As the Deputy's question relates to service matters, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy.