Service provision rather than income focus for disability budget

By Caroline O’Doherty

As with other welfare payments, the most common payment to people with disabilities, the Disability Allowance, is to increase by €14 per week, a few euro ahead of what was expected.

Tax credits for incapacitated children and blind people have both been doubled but the impact is dulled by the fact they started from a low base of just €500.

Further concessions to people with disabilities and their carers include a €20 increase in the income threshold for the means-tested Carers Allowance and a €165 increase in the respite care grant.

The main thrust for disability was the announcement of a special package of funding worth €900 million to address extra high-priority needs for the years 2006-2009. According to Brian Cowen, this package, taken in conjunction with the €2.8 billion regular budget allocation for 2005, will meet a number of key targets by the end of 2009, including:

1,290 new residential places, 430 respite places and 2,540 day places for people with intellectual disability and autism

380 new residential places for people with significant or progressive physical disabilities who are inappropriately placed in hospitals and nursing homes

1.2 million extra hours of home support and personal assistance (equivalent to 570 full-time jobs) to help people with disabilities remain in their own homes

400 new places in community-based facilities such as day centres, day hospitals and residential care units for the mentally ill.

Another significant feature is the allocation of an extra €2 million per year to cover the cost of additional staffing needed in order to re-home about 600 people with intellectual disability and autism out of psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements. It is expected priority will be given to about 330 people with intellectual disabilities but no mental health problems, and a further 140 who have some mental health concerns but whose primary difficulty is an intellectual handicap.

Among other announcements are €60 million extra in building funds for new day care, respite care and residential facilities, community-based mental health facilities and extra home help in 2005. Other provisions included:

€3.7 million to provide a special swimming pool at St Michael’s House, Belcamp, Dublin.

€500,000 extra to Irish Wheelchair Association for renovation of the Cuisle National Holiday Centre at Donamon, Co Roscommon

Unspecified funding to Comhairle to help start an advocacy service for people with disabilities.