Funding for Traveller healthcare is being used to "balance the books" of the Health Service Executive (HSE), an Oireachtas committee was told today.
During a briefing by Pavee Point to the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, the organisation's director, Ronnie Fay, called for funding for on Travellers' healthcare to be ringfenced "as it has become increasingly difficult to account for the funding to Traveller health developments".
Of a potential €2 million for such funding in 2007 and 2008, €1.8 million was used to balance the HSE books, Ms Fay said. "This is in our view unacceptable and immoral, given the health status of the Traveller community." She called for the HSE to be "held accountable" and for the funding to be released.
Martin Collins, assistant director of Pavee Point, said Travellers felt "sold short" and "somewhat demoralised" given the low life expectancy and infant mortality suffered by them. Mr Collins said 6,000 to 7,000 Travellers were living in deplorable conditions, and the committee was told the average age of Travellers was 18, with just 25 Travellers in the State aged over 85.
Fine Gael TD Dan Neville called on the HSE to respond to Pavee Point's submissions, but Kathleen Lynch of Labour warned it was "impossible to get clarity" from the health body. Fellow Labour TD Jan O'Sullivan called for the Traveller budget to be ringfenced, while committee chairman Seán Ó Fearghaíl (FF) said the budget cutting was "particularly reprehensible" in the context of the Traveller infant mortality rate.
The committee also heard submissions from Age Action Ireland in which it expressed concerns over the Nursing Home Support Scheme Bill 2008.
Action chief executive Robin Webster said more clarity was needed as to how the care-needs assessment would work and the role of rehabilitation under the scheme, known as A Fair Deal, He also raised the issue of funding of nursing-home care through the value of a home if that home had depreciated in value.
Under the Bill, nursing home residents may be charged up to 15 per cent of the value of their home and assets after death.
