West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Sinn Fein pressing for improved Provision for adult disabled Learning population in strabane

Published: 30 June, 2009

Tuesday 30 June

Sinn Fein pressing for improved Provision for adult disabled Learning population in strabane

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Claire Mc Gill is to meet Western Health & Social Care Trust officials this Friday to discuss growing concerns about the reduction in Adult Disabled Learning Provision in Strabane District.

Claire Mc Gill said,

"In the past week, I have been contacted by relatives whose children are now leaving Knockavoe Special School having reach 18 years of age and who are deeply distressed because the already limited training opportunities for adult disabled learners in the District appear to be further diminishing as a result of the recent decision by the Western Health & Social Care Trust to not renew or make on new contracts for clients with Adult Disabled Learning Providers with a shortage of funding being cited as the reason.

"I will be meeting with the Trust on Friday to make representations on behalf of the adult disabled learners and their families who now find themselves in limbo because of these cuts and to lobby for additional provision to be made.

"This issue is symptomatic of the wider issue of the lack of service provision for the disabled adult population not only Strabane District but across the six counties and the lack of adult disabled training provision is mirrored by the lack of care and respite provision. This situation has left relatives of disabled adults in the totally unacceptable position of having to continually fight for even a minimum level of support and provision for their loved ones.

"So as well as at a Western Trust level, an entitlement framework of provision for the adult disabled population must be brought forward and resourced at Departmental level. This requires the formulation of an integrated strategy between Health Minister Michael Mc Gimpsey and DEL Minister Reg Empey. Through Pat Doherty MP MLA, Sinn Fein has had a long-standing request to jointly meet both Ministers to press this strategic issue, but as of yet both Ministers have been unable to facilitate such a joint meeting with us.

"However, Pat Doherty and myself have now submitted a series of six written questions for priority answer to both Ministers on the local situation in Strabane District and on the overall strategic issue of an inter-departmental strategy to ensure that the holistic service needs of the disabled adult population including care, respite and training are being fully provided for.


Note to editors: below are the six written questions that have been submitted by Pat Doherty and Claire Mc Gill for priority answer on the issue:

Submitted on Friday 26 June

Written questions for priority answer to Health Minister Michael Mc Gimpsey

1. To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if he acknowledges the continuing hardship, anguish and concern felt by disabled adults and their relatives in Strabane District at the acute under-provision in terms of care, respite and training services for this section of the local population and to outline what steps he is going to take to address this under-provision.

From: Pat Doherty MP MLA (West Tyrone)

2. To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety if he is aware that the already limited training opportunities for the disabled adult population of Strabane District have been further diminished as a result of the decision by the Western Health and Social Care Trust to decline to renew or make on new contracts for clients with adult disabled learning providers in the District such as the New Horizons Partnership and what steps will he now take to ensure that the "training choices" of local adult disabled learners are fully accommodated so that their basic human rights are respected and protected.

From: Pat Doherty MP MLA (West Tyrone)

3. To ask Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail what, if any, discussions he has had with the Minister for Employment and Learning, to develop an inter-departmental strategy to ensure that the holistic service needs of the disabled adult population including care, respite and training are being fully provided for.

From: Pat Doherty MP MLA (West Tyrone)

Priority written questions to DEL Minister Reg Empey

1. To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to provide a detailed breakdown of the amount of funding allocated to Adult Disabled Learning Provider Organisations in each of the 26 District Council areas over the last 3 years.

From: Claire Mc Gill MLA (West Tyrone)

2. To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to detail what, if any, discussions he has had with the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, to develop an inter-departmental strategy to ensure that the holistic service needs of the disabled adult population including care, respite and training are being fully provided for.

From: Claire Mc Gill MLA (West Tyrone)

3. To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning to outline his Department's responsibility in terms of providing for the adult disabled learning population and to state what his Department is doing to ensure that adult disabled learning schemes are not only continued and but developed in light of reductions in Department of Health spending in this area of provision.

From: Claire Mc Gill MLA (West Tyrone)