Kenny criticises disability funding

The Government was today criticised over cuts to frontline services for people with intellectual disabilities.

Earlier this week it emerged that at least 60 service providers caring for 25,000 people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities are scaling back their operations across the State because of cuts in HSE funding.

Speaking during leaders' questions in the Dail this morning, Fine Gael's Enda Kenny called on Taoiseach Brian Cowen to justify the reduction of services "that are so important and so fundamental to the wellbeing of people who are intellectually challenged.

Mr Kenny was also critical of the fact that no analysis was done on the impact of the cutbacks before the changes were implemented.

"These cutbacks impact directly on these young people and as a consequence on their families. The fact that respite is being taken away, even for four hours once a month, impacts on their lives so seriously," he said.

Mr Kenny pointed out that the entertainment budget for the Department of Health had doubled and that there were also increases in spending in other areas such as administration expenditure. ?In what circumstances can you justify making choices like this without examining areas when you could have had serious cutbacks in administration that would keep these level of services open for people,? he said.

The Taoiseach told the Dail that over €1 billion had been spent on intellectual disabilities and that there were up to 200 service providers, 25 of which are responsible for between 80 per cent and 90 per cent of frontline services.

He said Minister for Health Mary Harney and Minister of State for Disability Issues John Moloney were working to see how these services can be safeguarded. "We need, given that we have limited resources generally, to see what way the provision of services in the non-frontline end of services can be used to make sure there's plenty of money at the frontline," said Mr Cowen.

"However, I do want to emphasise that it is important in the context of sustaining services for the future that there has to be changes in how service providers co-operate."