Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1147. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which the €20 million in the Budget assigned to support for voluntary bodies providing disability services to support the Transforming Lives Programme will be spent; the way in which such bodies can access this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32410/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Budget provided €20m in 2020 for voluntary disability service providers to advance the Transforming Lives reform process. Recently I, along with Minister Rabbitte, announced details of Strengthening Disability Services Schemeunder which these funds will be distributed. Under the scheme, there will be once-off grants to disability service providers towards achieving additional measurable progress in reforming disability services, to improve the quality of life of those who rely on these services, and to build the capacity of disability organisations, under three strands:

1. Improving person-centred delivery in line with Transforming Lives– indicative total available €10m

2. Partnership arrangements in service delivery with similar bodiesin its particular field (e.g. serving a similar geographic area or disability community) – indicative total available €5m

3. Initiatives towards building sustainable organisations, with a higher share of funding devoted to the front line, e.g. consolidation of back-office operations in sister organisations or other reform initiatives towards building sustainable organisations – indicative total available €5m

Voluntary disability organisations, whatever their size, who have a Service Agreement or Grant Agreement with HSE Disability Services, are invited to apply on the official application form to HSE Disability Services at disability.strategy@hse.ie by 18^thNovember, giving details of the proposal, the budget, the rationale and what the organisation expect to achieve. An organisation may be eligible for up to 1% of its 2019 HSE disability funding. The panel of assessors established by the HSE will review applications, and issue funding approvals by end November. Larger grants (over €25,000) will issue in three stages.