Major Funding Boost For Disability Sector - Devins, Ireland

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 07 Dec 2007 - 5:00 PDT

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The Government has delivered on its promise to provide a substantial funding boost to the disability sector. The 2008 Budget will provide an additional €50 million to develop further key services for people with a disability. The funding builds on the resources provided over the last number of years under the Multi Annual Investment Programme 2005-2009. The type of services to be funded in 2008 will include:

ID & Autism

- 255 new residential places
- 85 new respite places
- 535 new day service places

Physical & Sensory

- 80 new residential places
- 250,000 extra personal assistance/home support hours

Dr Jimmy Devins TD Minister for Disability and Mental Health stated that ''this budget will be used to empower people with a disability and to develop and maintain facilities to ensure they are able to enjoy a productive role in the community. This Budget takes a significant step forward in addressing the needs of the disability sector.''

Minister Devins added, ''In 2008 we will reap the rewards of the additional investment in mental health services over the past number of years. The HSE is proceeding with the recruitment of eight child and adolescent multidisciplinary teams, two for Dublin Mid Leinster, two for Dublin North East, two for the South and two for the West. As an interim arrangement 18 additional beds will come on stream in 2008. The HSE will fast-track the appointment of staff to facilitate the commissioning of these additional beds so that by the end of 2008 there will be thirty beds in place. This represents a significant increase and is a most welcome development for such a vulnerable group. Meanwhile the construction of two twenty -bed units will get underway,'' concluded Minister Devins.

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