June 16 2010

Parliamentary Questions

• Steps a parent should take whose child demonstrates signs of disabilities
• Review of Congregated Settings
• Relaxing the means test rules for jobseeker’s and disability allowance
• Arrangements to approve school transport when local special education needs officer is on holiday

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• Steps a parent should take whose child demonstrates signs of disabilities

Deputy Deirdre Clune (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps a parent should take whose child demonstrates signs of childhood development delays or disabilities where the child is under five years;

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 was commenced on 1 June 2007 in respect of children aged under 5 years; this includes an entitlement to an independent assessment of health and education needs. The Health Service Executive has appointed 32 Assessment Officers to carry out this function under the Disability Act 2005. These officers were appointed in each local health office. Contact details for Assessment Officers are available on the Health Service Executive website at: http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find—a—Service/Disability—Services/

Disability—Assessment/Assessment—Officers.html. From the date of commencement, any parent who has concerns that their child aged under 5 may have a disability should apply for an assessment of need under Part 2 of the Disability Act. 

• Review of Congregated Settings

Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children if she has completed the Review of Congregated Settings; the conclusions of the review in relation to the transfer of people with intellectual disabilities living in such institutions to more appropriate accommodation including those inappropriately placed in psychiatric hospitals; the timescales for same;

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy John Moloney): The Review of the Congregated Settings is being carried out by a group chaired by a senior HSE official. I understand that the group is at an advanced stage in its work. However, it would be a matter for the HSE to advise you on the current status of the review. I wish to advise the Deputy 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, however, I would invite you to raise it with me again in due course. 

• Relaxing the means test rules for jobseeker’s and disability allowance

Deputy Richard Bruton (FG): asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider relaxing the means test rules for jobseeker’s and disability allowance, when a qualifying person takes in sub-tenants in order to spread the cost of the mortgage in view of the fact that if the tenants were expelled the State could face paying both the mortgage interest supplement and the full rate of jobseeker’s allowance.

Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív): For the purposes of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Disability Allowance, any cash income derived from the rental of a portion of a house in which the claimant normally resides is assessable as income for means test purposes.Deductions from such income are allowed in respect of any mortgage interest or ground rent in proportion to the area used by a tenant. In addition, in the case of furnished rooms let, 5% of the gross amount received is allowed for wear and tear while a further 15% is allowed forvoids (i.e. periods when accommodation is vacant between lettings).Any changes to the current arrangements could only be considered in a Budgetary contextand in the light of available resources. 

• Arrangements to approve school transport when local special education needs officer is on holiday

Deputy Brendan Kenneally (FF): asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements that are in place to approve school transport for children with special education needs, which normally is approved by the local special education needs officer, when such an officer is on holiday during school term and will not return until after the schools have gone on holidays;

Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised my Department that it issued guidelines to schools in February 2010 setting out the timelines within which schools should submit applications for transport for children with special education needs enrolling in September 2010. Primary schools were advised to submit applications to the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) before the 21st May and post primary schools before 21st April to ensure that applications are processed before the end of the current school year, taking into account the volume of applications received from other schools and also other issues such as short term planned absences. The NCSE has advised my Department that, in general, applications received since 21st May will be processed by them within the next 3-4 weeks. Having considered the applications, the SENOs provide a report to my Department’s School Transport Section. All applications are then assessed within the terms of the School Transport Scheme for children with special needs. Bus Éireann which operates the school transport service on behalf of my Department contacts the parents/guardians of eligible pupils to make the necessary transport

BACK TO MAIN DÁIL DEBATES & QUESTIONS PAGE