TD hits out at 'wholly inadequate' disability services

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-West, Michael Moynihan: "This is not a Covid issue, this has been an issue for a long time." File Picture: Dan Linehan

The Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters has described the level of services available during the Covid pandemic as "wholly inadequate", including the number of emergency residential places for people impacted directly or indirectly by the virus. 

Figures provided to Fianna Fáil TD Michael Moynihan from the HSE in response to a parliamentary question show only 74 new emergency residential placements provided to the end of September, including just 28 related to Covid-19.

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The committee is to meet this Thursday in relation to setting out its terms of reference on how it wants to address issues raised by families and service providers. Mr Moynihan said: 

The services were wholly inadequate before Covid, and when Covid came it shone a spotlight on the services. This is not a Covid issue, this has been an issue for a long time."

The HSE said that as of the end of September, there were 8,109 residential places in total available across the country, adding that it and its partner service providers had put in place a range of measures, including new emergency residential placements and home support services, while curtailing or closing certain services such as day services, respite services, and certain clinical supports so as to prioritise essential public health services at community health organisation level.

The HSE also said 2,583 adults with a physical and sensory disability had received an average of almost 334 hours of personal assistance services – averaging out at close to 13 hours a week. 

The HSE said: 

As with every service there is not a limitless resource available for the provision of home support services and while the resources available are substantial they are finite. 

In this context, services are discretionary and the number of hours granted is determined by other support services already provided to the person/family."

The figures also show that up to the end of June, 6,128 people had received an average of 233 hours of Home Support Services for Persons with a Disability, or an average of almost nine hours per week. 

The HSE also acknowledged "the need for increased services", stating: 

Following referral and assessment, available resources are allocated to clients with highest level of need."

The HSE said it was working with agencies to explore various ways of responding to this need in line with the budget available.

Meanwhile, parents surveyed by Inclusion Ireland, Down Syndrome Ireland and AsIAm has found many young people attending special classes were not receiving opportunities to participate in mainstream education because of social distancing requirements, or had been placed on reduced timetables.

Of the 382 parents who answered the survey, 41% said their child needed more SNA support, 30% said reintegrating into regular routines and school settings was their biggest challenge since return, a third were unsatisfied with their child’s present educational provision and 79% of respondents said children would need in-school support to continue their learning, in the event of future school closures.