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Dáil Debates & Questions
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June 01 2010 Dáil Debates
Parliamentary Questions
DÁIL DEBATES
Deputy Brian O’Shea (FG): St. Joseph’s School, Parnell Street, Waterford, which caters for childrenwith a mild learning disability, and St. Martin’s Special School, Ballytruckle, Waterford,which caters for children with a moderate learning disability, effectively have had no speechand language therapy service since May 2009. The schools had been sharing a speech andlanguage therapist who spent two days in St. Joseph’s, two days in St. Martin’s and one day onadministration. I understand that the therapist who had been supplying the service has beenon sick leave since May of last year, but the HSE has failed to provide a replacement servicefor the pupils of both schools. This means that the children with mild and moderate learningdisability attending these schools are deprived of this essential service. Individual crisis casescan be referred to the speech and language therapy service at Waterford Regional Hospital,but this is of little use because the children need regular weekly therapy services.Some pupils attending St. Joseph’s School who needing speech and language therapy cancome from some distance away, making it all the more essential that a regular service beprovided in their school. The children of St. Joseph’s and St. Martin’s are not receiving thequality of education to which they are entitled and their ability to achieve their learning potentialis being seriously compromised.It shows the hollowness of the undertakings given by this Government to protect the mostvulnerable sections of society when those with a learning disability are so shamefully neglected.Children are now being enrolled in these schools for September 2010. New pupils requiringspeech and language therapy will need to be screened by the speech and language therapist inorder that appropriate programmes can be put in place. I call on the Minister to ensure thedeprivation of these children in this essential service is put right forthwith. Theeffect of not providing this therapy is that the overall educational service providedfor these children will continue to deteriorate, and the net effect of not havingbadly needed speech and language therapy will be to compound the difficulties of these vulnerablechildren who need every possible support and assistance in aspiring to the optimum qualityof life. It is a measure of how uncaring the HSE, the Department of Health and Children andthe Department of Education and Skills have become if they can live with a situation wherethe vital needs of these children are being so shamefully abandoned. Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): I will be taking this Adjournment matter on behalf the Minister for Health and Children. I thank Deputy O’Shea for raising this matter and I am pleased to have the opportunity to outline the position on the speech and language therapy service at St. Joseph’s Special School, Parnell Street, Waterford, and St. Martin’s Special School, Kilcohan, Waterford. The Health Service Executive has advised the Minister for Health and Children that the speech and language therapy service for St. Joseph’s and St. Martin’s schools in Waterford have been provided directly as a school-based intervention programme for several years, totalling one whole-time equivalent staff member. The service to both schools caters for all children in the two schools, with 94 children currently identified as requiring intervention, varying from high priority direct intervention to low priority review with school support intervention programmes. The speech and language therapy service was suspended in 2009 owing to staffing issues. School support intervention programmes have continued and a speech and language therapy service to a limited number of children has been offered within existing staffing resources. The HSE has been endeavouring to address the issue and is now developing a revised approach over the coming months that will create a structure of integrated therapy to schools in the Waterford area. St. Joseph’s Special School will be considered within this primary care development.Depending on the individual child’s needs, it is likely that therapy provision could be delivered through continuing therapy in the community-based clinics or, where appropriate, in a school-based therapy programme. Owing to the specialist nature of the St. Martin’s school caseload, the HSE is recommending a resumption of therapy sessions within the school for these children. It is hoped to resume services within the school when staffing allows. In the interim, a temporary allocation will be provided through primary care for high priority cases. Service continuity can be affected by staffing issues arising, including resignations, maternity leave, career breaks and so on. The maintenance and development of speech and language therapy services remains a priority for the HSE locally, with three new additional posts appointed in the past two years in primary care, disability services and child psychiatry. Children who continue to meet the criteria for other specialist HSE services will continue to receive their intervention through these multidisciplinary teams, including early intervention for all children under six years, autism spectrum disorders where the intervention of the ASD team is indicated, child and adolescent mental health service teams following diagnosis of mental health disorder, and a central remedial clinic service in Waterford where children present with primary physical disability and where continued multidisciplinary team intervention is recommended. I re-affirm the Government’s commitment to the national disability strategy and to its longterm goals and objectives which we will continue to pursue in the coming years in partnership with all the stakeholders. Our commitment in the areas of disability and mental health is consistent. Approximately €1.6 billion is spent annually by the health services on disability programmes, including residential, day care, respite, assessment and rehabilitation services. Deputy John O’Mahony (FG): I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this very important issue on the Adjournment debate. Áras Attracta in Swinford, County Mayo, was set up 22 years ago and has 116 residents. Over the years the staff have been dedicated and caring and have provided a wonderful service to their clients. This has always been reassuring to their families and loved ones, but developments and cutbacks in recent years have caused concern and changed the picture. The residents live in bungalows in Áras Attracta — up to ten in each bungalow. This has increased from seven or eight in the past. This means that the set of standards of the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, of having an individual bedroom for each client is being breached. In March 2009, bungalow No. 10 closed which increased the numbers to a maximum of ten in four of the other bungalows. Now it is proposed to close bungalow No. 8 in Áras Attracta which will cause further upset and discommode the residents who cannot speak up for themselves. We are talking about residents who find it very difficult to cope with a new setting in their lives. They have become comfortable and secure with their friends over the years. It is very unfair to upset their routine and the care to which they have become accustomed and with which they are comfortable. The HIQA standards state the individual should have an area of personal space that comprises his or her own personal possessions, thoughts and feelings upon which no other person intrudes without his or express permission. If this bungalow closes, leading to an increased number in the other bungalows, then it will be impossible to maintain that standard. As well as the increase in numbers in each bungalow, leading to more residents with shared bedrooms, there are further impacts to this decision. Clients with behavioural problems will now live with clients with challenging behavioural problems. Clients with mild disabilities will live with those who have profound disabilities. The same number of clients will be cared for with fewer staff and overcrowded day rooms will increase. Client activities, recreation and stimulation will decrease as staff will not be able to manage increased numbers. There will be increased demand for a decreasing level of bath, shower and toilet facilities because of the closure of the bungalow. Everyone accepts savings must be made where possible, but theseshould not impact on the safety, security or care of the most vulnerable in our society. It will be very difficult under the new arrangement to maintain the quality of service that has existed until now. Another worrying aspect of this proposed closure is that HIQA’s own standards and regulations are being breached, but there has never been an inspection of an intellectual disability service in Ireland. The standards are set but are not implemented nor the facilities to which they apply inspected. This has led to horrendous consequences elsewhere in the health service and the same mistakes should not continue to be made here. I have an e-mail in my possession from a staff nurse who is currently off work because of an assault that took place because she was working with staff shortages. If the closure of this bungalow goes ahead, it will have serious consequences for the residents and for the safety of the staff. I appeal to the Minister and the HSE to reverse this decision immediately. Deputy John Moloney: I will be taking this matter on the Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children. I thank Deputy O’Mahony for raising this matter and I am pleased to take this opportunity to outline the position on the proposed closure of a ten bed bungalow at Áras Attracta in Swinford. The Health Service Executive has advised the Minister for Health and Children that Áras Attracta is a residential and day care service for people with intellectual disabilities in Swinford, and the service provides for 116 residential clients and 17 day care clients. It is a modern, purpose-built campus with residential bungalows and facilities for clients, including a workshop, gym and swimming pool. Each bungalow is in excess of 3,000 sq. ft. and is designed for ten residents. As part of the Mayo primary community and continuing care cost containment measures for 2010, management at Áras Attracta is re-organising services to keep the service within budget while also ensuring the high quality of care for clients continues. Management has engaged with staff and their representatives to seek proposals on how the service can remain within budget this year. These proposals have been considered and cost saving measures, including renegotiation of suppliers’ contracts and efficiencies in the use of heating, are being implemented. The option of closing one bungalow is being considered and will be brought to a Labour Relations Commission review on Thursday. Áras Attracta is a large site with a number of residential bungalows, and clients may move from one bungalow to another following consultation with the clients and their families and clinical and risk assessment. The movement of the clients to other bungalows within the campus is possible due to the reduction in the number of clients at Áras Attracta. The HSE would like to reassure clients, their families and friends that Áras Attracta will continue to deliver a high quality service to meet the needs of its clients. I would like to take this opportunity to re-affirm the Government’s commitment to the national disability strategy and to its long-term goals and objectives, which we will continue to pursue in the coming years in partnership with all the stakeholders. Our commitment in the areas of disability and mental health is consistent. Approximately €1.6 billion is spent annually by the health services on disability programmes. PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS Deputy Joanna Tuffy (L): asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding plans to relocate the Central Mental Hospital; when a decision will be made; the locations that are being considered; Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney): It has been ascertained that the site proposed for the development of a new Central Mental Hospital (CMH) at Thornton Hall, Co Dublin, is not large enough to accommodate an Intellectual Disability Forensic Mental Health Unit and a Child and Adolescent Forensic Mental Health, the need for which has been identified by the HSE. The question of the relocation of the CMH to an alternative site is currently under consideration and remains a priority for the Government. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding provided in 2009 and 2010 for the Meath adult physical and sensory disability service; the amount per capital that this equals; the amount of this funding that is spent on management and administration and related areas; the way this is allocated to clinical supports for adults with physical and sensory disability; the amount of funding for disability services targeted for County Meath in 2009 and in 2010; the amount spent in each area of disability, physical and sensory, autism intellectual disability and other in 2009 and to date in 2010; the amount of funding that is being provided to the Health Service Executive north east, counties Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan areas, for disability services for 2009 and to date in 2010; Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): I regret that due to industrial action affecting the Health Service Executive, it is not possible for the Executive to supply the information requested. If this matter remains of continuing concern to you, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course. Deputy Deirdre Clune (FG): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the level of funding that has been provided to Cork County Council and to Cork City Council every year for the past five years in respect of housing aid for the elderly, housing adaption grants, mobility aid grants; Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): My Department’s involvement with the Housing AdaptationGrant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupmentof a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. Thegrant schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupment available frommy Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority.The new suite of grants replaced the discontinued Disabled Persons Grant Scheme, the Essential Repairs Grant Scheme and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme, administered by the Health Service Executive. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed to each of the various grant measures from within the allocations notified to them by my Department and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation. Details of the annual Exchequer allocations to Cork County Council and Cork City Council for the period 2005 to 2009 are set out in the table below. Data for 2005 and 2006 relate to the discontinued Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes. Data for 2007 onwards include the new Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for People with a Disability, the Housing Aid for Older People and the Mobility Aids Grant Schemes. Suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Year Cork County Council€ Cork City Council€ 2005 3,238,158 135,476 2006 3,042,028 533,684 2007 3,622,522 1,218,359 2008 5,784,957 1,546,070 2009 5,496,334 2,166,333 Exchequer allocations totalling almost €80 million for 2010 were notified to local authorities on 5 March under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. The allocation to Cork County Council amounts to €6,490,067 compared to an initial Exchequer allocation of €4,863,334 in 2009, an increase of €1.626 million. The allocation to Cork City Council amounts to €2,166,333 compared to an initial Exchequer allocation of €1,635,333 in 2009, an increase of €0.531 million. Deputy Joe McHugh (FG): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if there is an appeals process for parents or guardians of children with special needs who unsuccessfully apply for support from the National Council for Special Education. Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has introduced an appeals process whereby schools and parents may seek to appeal the decision of a SENO in relation to the allocation of resources. Information regarding the appeals process is available on the NCSE’s website at www.ncse.ie. The NCSE is also in the process of establishing an Independent Appeal’s Advisory Committee to consider cases where schools consider that the NCSE’s internal appeals process was inadequate or inappropriate in addressing schools’ concerns raised in relation to the resources allocated to the school. All schools have the names and contact details of their local SENO. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child’s special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie. Deputy Mary Upton (L): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills when the review of the general allocation model will be published; if, in a DEIS band 2 school, an increase in total numbers, the ratio of boys to girls, the ratio of boys to girls with special needs will be taken into account when reviewing the general allocation model; if she will identify the criteria that will apply; the frequency with which reviews take place; Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): As the Deputy will be aware, the General Allocation Model (GAM) was introduced in primary schools in September 2005 to ensure that each school has learning support/resource teaching support available to meet the needs of children with high incidence special educational needs. When the GAM commenced, a commitment was given to carry out a review after three years of operation. This review commenced in 2008. The process involved engaging with the Education Partners which includes parent, management and union interests in the context of securing their views on the model’s operation. Any decision in relation to the operation of the model will be taken in the context of the outcome of the review, the resources available and the competing demands for resources generally in the education system. The review is at an advanced stage and is currently being considered within my Department. It is expected that the review will be completed this year.
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Inclusion
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Tel: 01 8559891 Fax: 01 8559904 Email: info@inclusionireland.ie |