Question to the Minister for Health (Dr. Leo Varadkar, TD)
To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the reconfiguration of residential services, as recommended in the Health Service Executive report, Time to Move on from Congregated Settings – A Strategy for Community Inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – Jerry Buttimer
For WRITTEN ANSWER on Wednesday, 25 February 2015.
REPLY
The HSE’s report “Time to Move on from Congregated Settings – A Strategy for Community Inclusion”,(2011) proposes a new model of support in the community by moving people from institutional settings to the community, over a seven year timeframe. The plan will be rolled out at a regional and local level and will involve full consultation.
In terms of housing, the Department of Health and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government are working in collaboration to support the transition of people with a disability from institutions to social housing in the community under the Government’s National Housing Strategy for People with Disability 2011 to 2016.
As part of the implementation process, in 2013 and 2014 one million euro was transferred from the Department of Health’s Vote to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government’s Vote to provide for the ring-fenced social housing costs of up to 150 people leaving disability or mental health institutions. In 2015, one million euro has been allocated to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to continue this process.
As the HSE is responsible for leading out on the recommendations on “Time to Move on from Congregated Settings – A Strategy for Community Inclusion”, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for direct reply to the Deputy. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow the matter up with the HSE.