Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Minister for Health the measures he will put in place to reduce waiting lists for disability-specific services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21017/15]

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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People with disabilities continue to face harsh cuts. The objective of the question is to find out what plans the Minister of State has to invest in services where there are deficits across the country, in order to ensure that people with disabilities on waiting lists can have a fulfilled opportunity to play an active role in society.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I appreciate the question but before I read the formal reply I should say that the budget for services, which is the focus of the Deputy's question, has not been cut. As a matter of fact there has been an increase.

The Government currently provides funding of approximately €1.5 billion to the disability services programme through the Health Service Executive's national service plan for 2015. The HSE aims to ensure that the resources available are used to best effect, in order to provide assessment and ongoing therapy to children and adults in line with their prioritised needs. However, it is acknowledged that current waiting lists for some therapeutic supports are high. We are coming from a very low base.

In 2013, additional funding of €20 million was provided to strengthen primary care services. This comprised €18.5 million for the recruitment of more than 260 primary care team posts and more than €1.4 million to support community intervention team development. In 2014, the roll-out of theProgressing Disability Services for Children and Young People programme entailed targeted investment of €4 million and the provision of 80 additional therapy posts, to improve services for children with all disabilities. As of 30 April 2015, a total of 47 of the 2014 posts have been filled, a further 20 are at the stage of "post accepted" and the process is ongoing for the remaining posts. A further €4 million allocation was announced in 2015 to continue work on this programme. I am confident that the additional resources being invested in both primary care and disability services will have a positive impact on the provision of clinical services to all children with disabilities, including those who may currently be on waiting lists to access therapy inputs.

Deputy Keaveney probably knows better than I that we are coming from a low base. The difficulty is that we are building up a system in order to ensure that people do not have to wait more than 12 months.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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My question relates to disability services as opposed to the cuts to mainstream services that are taking place. I thank the Minister for the response on the specific area of investment in waiting list reduction. Currently, more than 400 people with disabilities are on a waiting list for speech and language therapy. A total of 1,000 people are waiting for physiotherapy. In particular, I am concerned about the growing waiting list for personal assistants. More than 520 people with disabilities are waiting for personal assistants and 680 are waiting for home help hours.

I welcome the renewed focus to address those waiting lists, as opposed to the cuts that have taken place with respect to mainstream services such as cuts in disability allowances, fuel allowances, drug payment schemes and the increase in prescription costs, among others. I am separating the issues in the response. I am particularly interested in the focus of investment on tackling waiting times with a greater urgency. The issue is critically important. Waiting times are of concern, and I am particularly alarmed at the volume and number of people who are waiting.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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We are agreed on the point that these waiting lists are unacceptable and they need a particular focus.

That is why in 2014 the HSE began a waiting lists initiative using innovative approaches, including public voluntary and private providers, in order to achieve targeted reductions in waiting lists. The initiatives will continue to be funded this year. Given that we have provided additional resources of €20 million, plus €4 million for those aged up to 18 years, it is unacceptable that waiting lists continue to be as they are. I agree with the Deputy that the focus needs to remain on waiting lists for speech therapy and physiotherapy, in particular.

Colm Keaveney (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I compliment the Minister of State on focusing on this issue and her acknowledgement that it is unacceptable that waiting lists are spiralling in the light of the fact that, in theory, there has been some investment, although it is insufficient. In the light of the slightly unedifying spectacle on the last Priority Question about taxation, we need to see greater urgency. I would be grateful, therefore, if the Minister of State spoke to the senior Minister in that Department to secure greater resources. This issue needs greater urgency and focus and there also has to be greater political will. I do not doubt that the Minister of State has that political will, but perhaps the Minister needs to reflect on the scale of investment required to tackle the spiralling waiting lists.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The one thing I have learned in this job is that to rush system reform is to do it badly. In fact, both the project and the system should be well thought out and managed. We are building a system that will respond, but the building of the system will take time because, as the Minister rightly said in his last reply, it is quite difficult to get people through the recruitment process. We are having the same difficulties in disability services as in acute hospitals. In fairness to my parliamentary colleagues, there has never been resistance to the budget for the delivery of services. While I do not have responsibility for the social protection element, as the Deputy knows, in the case of the element for I have responsibility, I have received nothing other than complete support.