John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no wish to delay people. The Minister of State has just read out two of the paragraphs that came to me in the answer to my question. The target of 1.3 million hours in 2016 was exceeded by 200,000. Unless my arithmetic is way off, the figure comes to 1.5 million hours. The Minister of State has confirmed that 1.4 million hours are available this year. That is 100,000 more than budgeted for last year but 100,000 less than the activity from last year. In itself, that is shaving. That is approximately the same amount of shaving as the overall increase in the disability budget the Minister of State adverted to for this year. Anyone can look at the figures. Unless my arithmetic is wrong, it means that 6%, 7% or 8% is gone off the activity level from last year. The target at the beginning of the year was 1.3 million hours but it turned out to be 1.5 million. This year, the service is planning to provide 1.4 million hours, which is 100,000 hours less than the provision for last year. It is ironic that this is happening to a service that is so central to people. The same is happening with home supports; at least the percentages are the same in the drop.

My point is proved by the answers I have received. There continues to be shaving of important community services for people with disabilities. Is it any wonder that young people with disabilities - these are people under 65 years of age - are going in to nursing homes and being subject to signing up to the fair deal scheme? This is going on. This is a fact.