The Family and Social Solidarity Ministry would like to respond to claims raised through a letter published in your newspaper entitled “The minister’s presence” (TMID, 8 March). This letter was signed by officials of the Movement in Favour of Rights for Persons with a Disability (MFRPD).
The letter makes two contentions. Firstly, that the government agency Sapport is not receiving enough funding. Secondly, that no representatives from the ministry was present for the first part of the forum “Residential Homes and Services in the Community for Persons with Disability” organised on 4 February by the Malta Federation of Organisations of Persons with Disability in collaboration with the Kummissjoni Pastorali Persuni b’Dizabilità.
In response to the issue of alleged under-funding by government, the ministry is certain that the authors of this letter are fully aware that the funding of the agency Sapport has gone up from Lm270,000 in 2004 to Lm507,000 in 2005. This means that there was an 88 per cent increase in its funding within a year.
It is also pertinent to point out that the expenditure by the ministry dedicated to disabled persons is not limited to the funding which Sapport receives but also comprises other services and benefits. The National Commission for Persons with Disability receives Lm250,000 annually. The day centres for disabled persons (formerly known as adult training centres) receive a further Lm1.3 million.
More than 40 per cent of the ministry’s annual vote to support voluntary organisations goes to NGOs who work with disabled persons. This amounts to around Lm292,000. Last year, the Department of Social Security registered an expenditure of around Lm4 million in benefits directly related to disabled persons. A rough estimate shows that during 2005, our ministry spent a total of Lm 6.35 million in funds directly addressed to disabled persons.
On top of all this, new accommodation facilities are allocated annually by the Housing Authority to Sapport out of its building programme. The Housing Authority also has various schemes from which persons with disability can benefit.
One might still argue that more money and services should be devoted towards the welfare of disabled persons. However, the ministry believes that all acknowledge the fact that, as with other groups within the social sector, the sky is the limit and no funding is ever deemed enough. The reality, as we all know it, is that resources are finite and therefore, the money invested in disabled persons by the ministry is money to be reckoned with.
The allegation that no ministry officer was present for the first part of the forum was proven wrong within the letter itself. As the authors clearly state, one of the keynote speakers during the first part of the forum was Marcel Pisani, who is the chief operations officer of Sapport agency. A person occupying such a post is definitely the ministry’s representative. The letter also failed to mention, unfortunately, that Minister Dolores Cristina herself was sitting at the back of the audience for a substantial part of the discussion session and also addressed the participants, replying to many of the queries levelled.
The ministry has a very wide remit. Included is the NGO sector which is made up of hundreds of organisations. Many of them hold seminars and on a regular basis and the ministry attempts to be present at most of them. However, logistics do not always favour this attendance. It is unfair and untrue to imply that the ministry is unaware of the debate, proposals and suggestions that emerge from these events. On the contrary, all presentations and conclusions which arrive at the ministry are taken into serious consideration in the process of policy-making.
Marija Schranz
Communications Coordinator
Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity