MORE THAN €100 million which was set aside in the 2009 budget for new services for children with disabilities and mental health problems has still not been spent this year.
A performance-monitoring review presented recently to the Health Service Executive’s board shows the vast majority of money earmarked for new service developments has not been spent.
These include funds for suicide-prevention programmes, new services for children with mental health problems, disability assessments for children of school-going age, as well as funds for cancer services and immunisation programmes.
The documents show that the HSE has still not received sanction from the department to spend the money, more than six months into the year.
The disclosure is likely to lead to accusations that much of the money may be diverted into other areas of the health service.
Latest figures show the HSE is currently running a deficit of €55 million and will need to dramatically reduce expenditure. In recent years, money set aside for mental health services, for example, was later used in other parts of the HSE.
This latest performance review shows that almost €3 million for new posts in child and adolescent mental health teams, suicide prevention services and implementing A Vision for Change has not been used.
This includes 35 additional posts for child and adolescent mental health services, including clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech and language therapists for new and existing multi-disciplinary teams.
In the area of disability, some €7 million for 90 posts which will enhance assessment and intervention services for children of school-going age has not been allocated.
These posts were to include speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists.
A total of €55 million has been set aside for implementing the “Fair Deal” nursing home support scheme over the course of 2009, although this is now not expected to come into force until September at the earliest.
Some €15 million is allocated for developments in the national cancer control programme which have not been sanctioned by the Department of Health.
In addition, some €21 million in “innovation projects funding” and €12 million for extending childhood immunisation is not available for spending.
At the time of last October’s budget, Ministers said the money set aside for new health and social services was an illustration of its commitment to protect vulnerable and needy members of the community.
There is no indication of how much of the promised funding will be allocated this year, given the deteriorating state of the public finance.
The issue of money being diverted from areas such as mental health or disability into other sections of the HSE ignited a number of major Dáil rows last year.
Minister for Health Mary Harney insisted last year that any money for developing new services should be ring-fenced for that purpose.
Patient groups representing people with disabilities and older people have condemned the delays in new services coming on stream.
Inclusion Ireland, which represents people with intellectual disabilities, says delays in introducing care standards and new day services are affecting the quality of life of hundreds of clients and their families.
Groups such as Age Action Ireland have been particularly critical of the closure of respite beds for older people and of delays in implementing the “Fair Deal” scheme.