Written answers

Thursday, 30 July 2020

Department of Health

Disability Services Funding

Photo of Claire KerraneClaire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1220. To ask the Minister for Health if a multiannual funding package will be introduced to address residential and respite waiting lists to assist those who qualify but cannot access care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20196/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Disability services focus on enabling people with disabilities to achieve their full potential, living ordinary lives in ordinary places, as independently as possible while ensuring that the voices of service users and their families are heard, and that they are fully involved in planning and improving services to meet their needs.  To support people with a disability, significant resources have been invested by the health sector in disability services over the past number of years.

The 2020 disability budget is €2054.5m. This represents an increase of €138.7m (7.2%) on the 2019 budget (€1915.8m). Additional funding in the 2020 budget is targeted as follows:

-  €16.0m for the full year impact of new service developments commenced in 2019;

-  €54.9m to maintain existing service levels and respond to demographic and other pressures;

-  €37.3m for pay rate funding;

-  €25.5m to enhance and expand existing services and for new service developments in 2020 comprising €6m for disability needs assessment, €12.5m for school leavers, €2m for the autism plan and €5m for enhanced support packages.

-  €1m to support the provision of an additional 40,000 personal assistance hours during 2020 and €4m to enable the provision of additional emergency residential placements over the course of the year.

While there is no qualifying criteria, Disability services are provided based on priority need. Residential services continued doing the outbreak of COVID 19, however, day and respite service did stop except for emergency situations. HSE is now working with service providers to reopen services in a safe manner.  Across the Disability Sector there is a commitment to continue the Reform of disability services (commenced in 2014) under a range of established programmes under Transforming Lives, including Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People, New Direction Day Services and Time to Move on from Congregated Settings.

Separately, the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy also commits to reforming the funding system to support new models of care and drive value to make better use of resources across the health services.  Department of Health officials are currently examining the feasibility of introducing a multi-annual budgeting process including examination of international best practice in relation to the implementation of multi-annual budgeting in healthcare systems.

Photo of Claire KerraneClaire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1221. To ask the Minister for Health if a business case will be progressed for funding submitted by a service provider (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20197/20]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

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