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Dáil Debates & Questions
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APRIL 17 2008 Dáil Debates Parliamentary Questions
DÁIL DEBATES Deputy Aengus O´Snodaigh: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to address a matter requiring urgent consideration, namely, the need for the Minister for Health and Children to reverse the proposed HSE cutbacks targeting the weakest and most vulnerable in society, particularly in the Ballyfermot area from June with its plans to reduce the number of respite beds available in Cherry Orchard Hospital from 24 to 12 and the serious consequences this will have on the quality of life for more than 50 elderly and disabled patients in the area who avail of the service for three-day or four-day respite periods and the effect on their families and carers; and the fact that this cutback comes on top of other short-sighted cuts in services announced recently by the HSE which will affect other vulnerable groups in the Ballyfermot area, including children in need of speech and language therapy and recovering addicts in need of methadone treatment or other supports. An Leas-Cheann Comhairle: Having considered the matters raised, they are not in order under Standing Order 32.
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS Deputy Seán Sherlock (L): asked the Minister for Health and Children when the senior officials group will put into action the recommendations of the National Economic and Social Forum report as per the national plan for social inclusion; Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy Jimmy Devins): The National Economic and Social Forum’s report on Mental Health and Social Inclusion is consistent with ‘A Vision for Change’ which was launched in January 2006. A key recommendation of the NESF report is the establishment of cross-departmental structures to address mental health and social inclusion. In January 2008, the Government announced the establishment of the Office for Disability and Mental Health. The Office is a cross-departmental Government office with functions in four Departments: Health and Children, Education and Science, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Director of the Office is a member of the Senior Officials Group on Social Inclusion. The Office’s functions include driving the recommendations of ‘A Vision for Change’, bringing a new impetus to the implementation of the Report through working in partnership with the HSE and other stakeholders to achieve implementation of agreed targets. The recommendations of the NESF report will inform the work of the Office in this regard. Deputy Alan Shatter (FG): asked the Minister for Health and Children when the Health Service Executive will publish its formal guidance document on residential facilities for adults with a disability; when quality and safety measures will be included in contractual arrangements between the HSE and agencies that provide a disability service; Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy Jimmy Devins): The Deputy’s specific question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy. Deputy John Cregan (FF): asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when changes will be made to the present guidelines governing community employment schemes to ensure that participants who are aged 55 years and older, who have a disability, are granted further extensions on the schemes; Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Deputy Micheál Martin): Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons (including those with a disability) with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. CE helps unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a work routine and to assist them to enhance and develop both their technical and personal skills. In November 2004, to cater for older workers in particular, I revised the 3 year CE participation limit to allow those of 55 years of age and over to avail of a 6-year period on CE. Subsequently, the participation limit for persons eligible for CE based on a Social Welfare disability linked payment (including those under 55 years) was increased by 1 year. These measures were introduced in recognition of the fact that older participants and participants with a disability may find it more difficult to progress into the open labour market. The aim of CE still remains as an active labour market programme with the emphasis on progression into employment. The programme is managed within this context, with consideration to the availability of resources and the needs of participants and the community. However, it should be remembered that, in so far as participants remain on CE, they are precluding someone else from benefiting from the programme. FÁS makes every effort to ensure that differing levels of demand between neighbouring schemes are equalised. FÁS also operates the programme flexibly as far as possible to ensure the continuation of community projects. In conclusion then, I would say that this Government will continue to support the positive role of CE in meeting the needs of long-term unemployed persons while at the same time providing essential services to communities. In this regard, we are keeping the operation of the Scheme under constant review.
Deputy Brian O’Shea (L): asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proposals he has to extend entitlement to child benefit to second and third level students who are over 18 years of age; Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Martin Cullen): Child benefit is a universal payment, paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years. It continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. The policy of the Government over the past number of years has been to substantially increase the amount spent on child benefit for all families. Commitment to this policy is reflected in the significant resources invested in the scheme since 2001, increasing monthly payments to \166.00 for each of the first two children and \203.00 for the third and subsequent children from April 2008. According to the latest figures collected by the Central Statistics Office, there is an estimated 93,500 students aged 19 to 22 years. Extending child benefit to this category would entail substantial cost, estimated to be in the region of some \195 million annually. In recognition of the need to target limited available resources at persons on low incomes with children in full-time education, a number of provisions have been introduced, including the extension of entitlement to an increase for qualified child to age 22 where the parent of a full-time student (including third level) is in receipt of either a long-term social welfare payment, or a short-term social welfare payment for six months or more (short-term schemes include such payments as jobseekers benefit and allowance, illness benefit and supplementary welfare allowance). In addition, in-work cash payments are provided to low-paid employees with families through the family income supplement scheme. Under this scheme, a qualified child is any child under the age of 18 or aged 18 to 22 if in full-time education. This supplement is paid where a family’s weekly income is below a specified income limit for the family size, and is calculated at 60% of the difference between the net family income (gross pay less tax, PRSI, health contribution, superannuation) and the relevant income limit.
Deputy Michael McGrath (FF): asked the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to the provision of home tuition in July 2008 for children attending a special needs school (details supplied) in County Cork. Deputy Deirdre Clune (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will ensure that 20 hours July provision of home tuition per week is made available to all children; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Mary Hanafin): The July Education Programme is available to all special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism who choose to extend their education services through the month of July. My Department also provides for a July Programme for pupils with a severe/profound general learning disability. Where school based provision is not feasible, home based provision may be grant aided. My Department encourages all eligible schools to participate in this initiative in the interest of the children in question. There has been a steady increase in the number of schools offering the programme since it was introduced in 2001 when relevant schools were circulated with details. My Department’s qualification preference is for a fully qualified teacher. Where parents cannot recruit a fully qualified teacher, then certain alternative qualifications are acceptable including particular montessori qualifications and details in this regard are published on my Department’s web site. Deputy Brian Hayes (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the support services available to second level students with autism, specifically with regard to speech and language therapy; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Mary Hanafin): The Deputy will be aware that my Department’s policy is to support the inclusive education of students with special educational needs across the schools system. In this context, a range of supports are provided to second level schools to enable them cater for pupils with special educational needs, including the needs of pupils with autism. The supports available include additional teaching support, special needs assistant support, school transport and grants for the purchase of teaching materials and specialised equipment. My Department’s policy supports the provision of a range of choices for parents of children of a post-primary age with autism. The National Council for Special Education co-ordinates the placement of these children either in main stream post-primary schools with additional support as required, in a special class in a post-primary school or in a special school. While some children with autism can thrive in a mainstream class, special classes have been specifically designed to meet the needs of those who require more intensive support. As the Deputy is aware enormous progress has been made over the past number of years in relation to increasing the number of teachers who are specifically dedicated to providing education for children with special educational needs. At second level, approximately 1,990 whole time equivalent additional teachers are in place to support pupils with special educational needs. In addition, there are 561 whole time equivalent learning support teachers and approximately 1,700 whole time equivalent special needs assistants (SNAs) in our second level schools. Comprehensive guidance has recently been provided to schools on best practice for inclusion of students with special educational needs. The guideline document “Inclusion of Students with Special Educational Needs: Post-Primary Guidelines” was published by my Department’s Inspectorate in June 2007 and is a significant step to further support second level schools in the inclusion of students with special educational needs. The guidelines advocate a wholeschool approach to effectively meet the educational needs of students with special educational needs. Practical advice is provided to schools on the organisation and co-ordination of resources so as to maximise the support to each individual student. The Deputy may also wish to note that the availability of continuing professional development for personnel working with children with special educational needs has been greatly expanded through a range of post-graduate professional training programmes and the ongoing development of the Special Education Support Service (SESS) to support schools staff locally. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools to support children with special needs. SNAs are sanctioned specifically to assist in the care of pupils and students with disabilities in an educational context. The SENOs operate within the policy outlined in my Department’s circular for allocating such support. Additional special classes for children with autism will be sanctioned by the National Council for Special Education as required. School Authorities typically liaise directly with SENOs in relation to their needs for such classes. As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of therapy services, including speech therapy for people with disabilities, is a matter for the Health Services Executive (HSE) and funding is provided to the HSE for such purposes.
Deputy David Stanton (FG): asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 176 of 4 March 2008, the further progress that has been made with regard to ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; if he expects the convention to be ratified by Ireland in 2008; Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Deputy Brian Lenihan): I have nothing further to add to the details of my reply to Question No. 176 of 4 March 2008 other than to indicate that the programme of work that has been developed so as to meet the legislative and administrative obligations under the Convention is being actively addressed by the relevant Departments, including my own Department, and that the intention of the Government is to have the Convention ratified as quickly as possible consistent with implementation of the various legislative and administrative measures.
Deputy Aengus O’Snodaigh (SF): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason his Department is preventing Fingal County Council from employing additional housing maintenance inspectors to address the long waiting list of applicants with disabilities who are seeking to have adaptions done to their houses in this council area; Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The allocation within local authorities of available staffing resourcesfor the carrying out of specific functions is a matter for the City or County Manager concernedunder Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001.While this is therefore a matter in which I have no direct function, my Department is currentlyreviewing the overall employment position in the local government sector, in consultationas appropriate with the Department of Finance, having regard to the need to deliver front line services and achieve value for money within the parameters of Government policy on public service employment generally.
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Inclusion
Ireland, Unit C2, The Steelworks, Foley Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.
Tel: 01 8559891 Fax: 01 8559904 Email: info@inclusionireland.ie |