A number of State-funded bodies that provide essential services to people with disabilities have warned they are running out of money.
One of them, Stewart’s Care in west Dublin, which provides services to 2,000 people says it faces a deficit of € 2.5 million. Others, which have not been identified publicly, face a shortfall of up to €10 million. Some are so strapped for cash that they may have to delay their tax payments or staff pension contributions – opening up potential issues for their voluntary boards.
The situation presents incoming taoiseach Micheál Martin with an early opportunity to make good on his claim that he wants his new administration to be “a defining government in respect of disability”. Likewise, it offers soon-to-be tánaiste Simon Harris a chance to atone for his poorly-handled encounter with disability worker Charlotte Fallon on the campaign trail.
A solution to the immediate cash shortfall must be found and the sector as a whole put on a more sustainable footing.
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The first part is straightforward. The precedent has been set by the bailout given to three disability services – St John of God Brothers, St Michael’s House and Muiríosa – as part of a package for voluntary hospitals in the run-up to Christmas. The refusal of the Health Service Executive to accede to a similar request from other disability service providers for additional funding needs an explanation.
The second part is more difficult. Last week the HSE in its national service plan for this year set out in stark terms the challenges being faced in the sector. Despite an almost 10 per cent increase in this year’s budget for specialist disability services to €3.2 billion, it warned additional funding will be needed indicating a repeat of this year’s cash crunch is already on the cards.
The programme for government commits the new administration to consider the development of a multiannual approach for disability services, which will be linked to productivity, staff levels and the delivery of services. It must be a priority.