Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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559. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will clarify the way in which his Department will interact with the Minister of State for Older People and Mental Health in relation to psychosocial disabilities once the transfer of disability functions is complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51269/22]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, work is on-going to facilitate the transfer of policy, functions and funding responsibility relating to specialist community-based disability services (SCBDS) from the Department of Health to my Department.

The responsibility for the delivery of these services will be retained within the Health Service Executive (HSE) with the HSE then reporting to two separate Ministers for different elements of its functions.

The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022, which was signed by the President on 12th April 2022, provides the overarching legislative framework for the transfer, including legislative requirements for co-operation between the Minister for Health and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on areas where there will be overlapping and shared interests. Both departments worked closely in developing these provisions, recognising the need for administrative and strategic alignment on many key areas.

Once the Transfer of Functions has taken place, three-tiered co-operation agreements will guide the working arrangements between the two Departments. These administrative arrangements include a high-level agreement by both Ministers and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Secretaries General, to be signed off at the commencement of the transfer. In addition, a number of operational agreements have been prepared at unit level between both Departments where ongoing engagement is essential for integrated service delivery, performance and oversight of the HSE and future policy development, including policy as it relates to older people and mental health.

Within these agreements a number of guiding principles are set out which have shaped the planned working arrangements for both departments, these include recognising that the needs of service users and their families as paramount and a commitment that no disruption to service delivery occurs as a result of the transfer. Further, it is recognised that there is an emphasis on maintaining the principles of mainstream first and integrated service provision, within both departments and the HSE; in this context acknowledging the continued interdependence of both Ministers with respect to some aspects of their scope of responsibilities, including funding and service delivery.