Written answers
Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Disability Services
Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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1125. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 459 of 7 March 2023, if the Preliminary Design (Stage 1) Report for the new intellectual disability adult day services facility at the Cleary Centre in Donegal town is complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11909/24]
Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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1135. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 459 of 7 March 2023, if the preliminary design Stage 1 report for the new intellectual disability adult day services facility at the Cleary Centre in Donegal town is complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12009/24]
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1125 and 1135 together.
As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will likely be aware that the industrial action by certain Forsa grades in the HSE has been suspended. The HSE has indicated that they have recommenced issuing replies to questions but there is a significant backlog of PQs and Reps to be responded to and has advised that they are working to get through these as soon as possible while at the same time managing the volume of current PQs and Reps.
Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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1126. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider changing the criteria in order to successfully apply for the motorised transport grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11920/24]
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government decided to close the Motorised Transport Grant and Mobility Allowance administrative schemes in 2013, on foot of the Ombudsman reports in 2011 and 2012 regarding the legal status of both schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts. Both schemes remain closed.
Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2022, the Action 104 Transport Working Group was established in 2020 to make progress on an important cross-Government action to review transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities and to advance proposals for the enhancement of these supports going forward.
As Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I chaired meetings of the Transport Working Group from January 2022 up to its conclusion in December 2022. The Group's work has now concluded and the final report was published in February 2023. The Report sets out the contributions made by members for the enhancement of transport and mobility supports for people with disabilities.
Access to transport for people with disabilities is a multifaceted issue that involves work carried out by multiple Government departments and agencies. It is incumbent on all Ministers, Departments and Agencies with responsibility for transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities to consider the recommendations of the Transport Working Group, as I will be giving due consideration to the recommendations in the context of the schemes outlined above. These considerations will continue in the context of the development of a new National Disability Strategy.
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1127. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if she is aware that the CDNT team in Donegal east has no office of its own, a 65% staff vacancy rate and key leadership positions unfilled; and if she will urgently examine all options to resolve this crisis as soon as possible, including pooling resources with other CDNT teams in the county, until the vacancy rates improve. [11926/24]
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible. The Deputy will likely be aware that the industrial action by certain Forsa grades in the HSE has been suspended. The HSE has indicated that they have recommenced issuing replies to questions but there is a significant backlog of PQs and Reps to be responded to and has advised that they are working to get through these as soon as possible while at the same time managing the volume of current PQs and Reps
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