There is a lot of expectation for tomorrow's Budget and until then all I will say is that this particular Budget will mark an important milestone in our political history because it will pave the way for the implementation of a good chunk of our electoral manifesto. Our commitment to the electorate is crucial and the measures and initiatives to be announced are tangible proof not only of commitment but - and more importantly - delivery. Over the years, our country has lacked this and, budget after budget, disillusionment became more the order of the day. People voted for change and this legislature is - and will be - characterised by deliverables, commitment and accountability.
As the Parliamentary Secretariat for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Ageing, this year we have concentrated our endeavours on the implementation of the electoral manifesto and beyond. We created the Soċjeta Ġusta project - one of this government's main electoral pledges - directed towards people with disability. Work on the first residence has begun and two Expressions of Interest for the provision of services and infrastructure have also been issued for providing residential services for those with disability. One relates to a property in Gozo, and the Evaluation Committee already concluded its work and we are now targeting the end of this year for finalising all the necessary and related paperwork to have the property in hand. The other one is now at Evaluation Committee stage and we are targeting a short-list of two or three properties.
This very important and ambitious project is of enormous value to the families of those with disabilities and will ensure their peace of mind.
Aġenzija Sapport is our main agency, providing day-care and residential services, as well as community services, for people with disability. This year we had the b largest increase ever in the budgetary allocation for Agenzija Sapport which meant that more services could be offered and our waiting lists were substantially reduced. This confirms the government's commitment and dedication to working in favour of people with disability. In a few weeks the Government will launch its National Disability Policy for the Rights of People with Disability - a first for the country. We have closed one of our old day centres that was used by those with visual impairment and have opened a new one.
Those who attend this new centre now enjoy a place that is adequately equipped for their condition as well as offering lifelong training that is both useful and beneficial in enabling them to live as independently as possible. We also undertook a major maintenance and refurbishment programme of premises run by Agenzija Appogg that had been left derelict for a good number of years.
The government has also successfully implemented the Guardianship Act, which is now fully functional by means of the Guardianship Board. We have also opened an Office for the Guardianship registrar.
This week I also announced that Birgu will be enjoying a new Active Ageing Centre, the first of its kind in Malta, which will provide day services for older people together with all the additional active-ageing services such as Life-Long learning sessions and gym equipment and sessions and other initiatives towards the implementation of the active ageing strategy. Following the official opening of the day centre in Gzira two weeks ago, this means that two day centres have been opened in one year. We have also invested in respite services and now have three times the number of beds, allowing us to help more families in need of respite services
Regarding St Vincent de Paul Residence, one measure in the last Budget was to begin work on St Francis 3 and St Francis 4 Wards. In fulfilment of this promise, not only has this work begun, but we have also started work on more projects at the Residence. The government has also finished the refurbishment of St Joseph 8 Ward which has been developed it into a dementia-friendly ward. Apart from this, we have also completed several projects such as the establishment of the Medical Materials Management Unit. We also had a tough decision to make, that of closing down the kitchen at St Vincent de Paul which, as described in the ITS reports, had been left neglected for decades. Plans for a new kitchen have been submitted to Mepa and we are now waiting for the process to be finalised before demolishing the current kitchen and rebuilding it to state-of-the-art standards and requirements.
Looking back, I cannot say that the past months have not been fruitful, because indeed they have and the work involved has been substantial. In this article I have only referred to the highlights, but many people are now enjoying the benefits of our efforts. Looking ahead is very challenging: no matter how much you strive to achieve, it is never enough to address the enormous hardships in the sectors covered by my Secretariat. Despite the great challenges and the limited resources, we know what our priorities are and tomorrow will be a proof of this.
Dr Caruana is the Parliamentary Secretary for the Rights of People with Disability and Active Aging