Disability Federation Ireland “Count Me In!” Conference Tuesday 3 March 2009

1. Disability Federation Ireland“Count Me In!” ConferenceTuesday 3 March 2009 Speech by Mary Doyle Assistant Secretary Economic and Social Policy Division Department of the Taoiseach

2. New Economic Context • Extraordinary time of financial turbulence & speed of downturn • New national and international economic environment • This poses significant challenges for the whole of society • Urgent focus on improving competitiveness & supporting people who lose their jobs

3. Value of Social Partnership • Vehicle for identifying challenges to and opportunities for our economic and social development, and agreeing responses to them • Has provided stability, forged effective relationships and developed many excellent structures • Towards 2016 Lifecycle Approach – policy innovation & person centred approach • Recognition of role for Community & Voluntary groups

4. National Disability Strategy • People with Disabilities – Lifecycle Stage in Towards 2016 • Focus on implementation of the Strategy • Clear governance and monitoring framework • Value of ongoing active engagement • Partnership approach at national and sectoral level.

5. Local Level Implementation • Translating national policy into meaningful and effective services at community level • Requires substantive and continuing dialogue and cooperation between national and local government, and between local government and relevant local stakeholders • Local Authority Access Officers a key enabler and conduit for this dialogue and collaboration, • Access Officers Network will have a key role in fostering collaboration and disseminating best practice

6. Integrated Public Services – the OECD view • Recognises its important role and its path to modernisation – huge potential in the system • Advocates a greater focus on targeting services from the perspective of the citizen i.e. the lifecycle approach • Need for improved dialogue and greater connectivity to address fragmentation • Doesn’t mean inventing new structures/layers, rather making better use of what we have – this will be our mantra!

7. Task Force on the Public Service • Task Force recommends enhanced application of lifecycle approach, and to promote and facilitate participation of socially excluded • Greater focus on case-working approaches, with multi-skilled teams working together across organisational and sectoral boundaries • It suggests development of networks bringing together relevant Public Sector and other stakeholder interests • New Cabinet Committee on Public Service to oversee the transformation process

8. Role of Local Government • Importance of local government structures to… • developing models of integrated service delivery through collaborative arrangements • leading delivery of shared services, case-based approaches and integrated responses • CDBs’ role in providing joined-up services and bringing stakeholders together in collaborative forum • Need for stakeholders and disability groups to work with service providers to show that process can help deliver their own business goals

9. CONCLUSION • Current NESF work examining local delivery of child literacy and social inclusion policies and the Home Care Support Scheme • Best use of limited resources • Time to reflect on how we do business • Perspective of the service user – integrated services & opportunities for dialogue

10. “Count Me In!” Conference Thank you