Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services (SCBDS) from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is a very significant transfer of functions, from the perspective of improving services for persons with a disability, involving in the region of €2.4bn in funding.

The responsibility for the delivery of these services will be retained within the Health Service Executive. I will assume responsibility for financial governance and performance oversight of the HSE’s disabilities budget, once the transfer is completed. My priority is to ensure that the transfer happens in a seamless and efficient way so that services are maintained and enhanced and that all necessary and appropriate governance and financial oversight arrangements are in place.

The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 was signed by the President on the 12th of April 2022 and provides the overarching legislative framework for the transfer. In developing the legislation, and since then, there has been intensive engagement between the two Departments, to facilitate the transfer of functions.

The relevant Departments, in consultation with DPER, and working with the HSE, are finalising financial governance arrangements and addressing all outstanding policy matters, with the expectation of bringing a memo to Government in the shortest timeframe possible, to facilitate the transfer.

My Department continues to plan for the Transfer of Functions with significant knowledge transfer on-going, particularly in recent weeks with an emphasis on the estimates process and the development of the HSE National Service Plan. My Department is also putting in place the appropriate organisational structures and resources to enable a smooth and efficient progression of all matters once the Transfer takes place.