Friday 16th December 2011

HSE CUTS TO DISABILITY SERVICES WILL HIT FRONTLINE

Inclusion Ireland understands the Department of Health has told HSE that cuts to disability services must not exceed 3.5%, despite many people with a disability and their families being told since Budget day that cuts to disability services could be in excess of 5%.

Inclusion Ireland has received many calls from distraught families who have been told services for their sons and daughters will be severely curtailed because cuts of over 5% will take place in 2012. It behoves the HSE and service providers to keep families informed of what changes will occur within services, but it is equally important that service providers and the HSE bear in mind how dependant people are on disability services and how worried people are over the constant barrage of cuts. All information must be based on fact, and while negotiations with the HSE and service providers are ongoing, people using services must not be subject to a constant rumour mill of misinformation.

However, while it is a relief that cuts of over 5% may now not happen, cuts of up to 3.5% will still severely impact on frontline services provided to people with a disability.

Inclusion Ireland CEO Deirdre Carroll says:

“The situation for people using services is growing increasingly bleak, as services continue to be cut, and charges are introduced in areas such as respite and transport. Given the economic situation, it unfortunately looks like this will continue, which causes massive worry and stress.

“People are facing into a situation where these announcements will happen every budget day in the coming years. The bottom line is that people are not receiving vital services because of Government cutbacks. While services are obliged to pay staff increments and pension payments, they are not obliged to provide vital frontline services. If government continues to insist increments are paid in 2012, then they must ensure that such payments do not come of out of budgets that have been cut, and that additional money is provided so as frontline services are not affected – there is no Croke Park agreement for people with a disability.

“This situation again reinforces the need to reform how disability services are provided, a process that has been started by the Minister for Disability Kathleen Lynch TD. People with a disability and their families are very dependent on services and have no control over what service they receive, where they receive it or where money allocated for their support goes to.

“In the short-term it is incumbent on the HSE, the Government and service providers to work together to ensure services people receive are subject to the least possible cuts and people with a disability and their families are not unduly frightened by hearing several different versions of what cuts are coming. This creates confusion, worry and stress and it is not acceptable that all parties involved are putting these worries on families and people with disabilities. Inclusion Ireland looks forward to confirmation that cuts to disability services will not exceed 3.5% in 2012.”

ENDS