Cowen: disability package was inspired by my time at health department

By Harry McGee, Political Editor

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, the Finance Minister said that when he took over the Health portfolio in 1997, the total new services provision amounted to a paltry £1m (€1.27m).

“That would not have even covered emergencies,” he said. “Parents of people with disabilities had no outlet to press their case.”

Mr Cowen said that to address this shortfall, he initiated a three-year programme on capital spending worth £80m (€100m) that same year.

“It doesn’t sound like a lot but it made a lot of headway. It gave consistency rather than having funding on a stop-start basis.”

He said that his decision to substantially increase funding in this Budget stemmed from this year’s Disability Bill.

“An interdepartmental committee was formed to bring in a legislative framework. There was an obvious need for this to be resourced,” he added.

He said the funding that had been earmarked was for high-priority areas, stressing that the funding for 2006-2009 was in addition to the current €2.8bn spend on disability services.

He said that most of the funding would be invested in services for people with an intellectual disability and autism, as well as for those with physical or sensory disabilities.

Some 4,500 places will be provided for those needing residential, respite or day care. In addition, there is a commitment to transfer 600 people suffering from intellectual disabilities or autism out of psychiatric hospitals, where they are inappropriately placed.

Other measures which will be funded include improved education services, better access to public buildings and amenities and high-priority services.

However, the Disability Bill has drawn much criticism from voluntary groups and opposition parties, who have described it as fundamentally flawed.

Groups campaigning on behalf of people with disabilities have said that the legislation should have guaranteed that support, services and education should be provided to the disabled as a right.

Mr Cowen said he wanted to ensure that people with disabilities get the services they require, rather than have to resort to costly and lengthy legal battles.

In his Budget speech, he argued that the funding package would “meet in a very substantial way the needs which are projected ... and will make a real difference to the lives of people with a disability and their families.”