asked the Minister for Health if he will state (a) the number of institutions, including voluntary institutions, catering for the deaf and dumb and, in the case of voluntary institutions, the names of the control communities and the location of the institutions, and (b) the amount and nature of State contribution to voluntary institutions and the number of patients catered for in each.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Deaf and Dumb Institutions.
There are three institutions, all of them voluntary institutions, catering for the deaf and dumb, as follows:—(i) St. Joseph's School for deaf boys, Cabra, Dublin, conducted by the Irish Christian Brothers and accommodating 202 male deaf mutes of six years of age and upwards; (ii) St. Mary's School for deaf girls, Cabra, Dublin, conducted by a community of the Dominican Nuns and accommodating 233 female deaf mutes of three years of age and upwards; (iii) Mary Immaculate School for the deaf, Stillorgan, County Dublin, conducted by a community of the Daughters of the Cross, and catering for deaf mute boys of three years and upwards. This school was opened recently and at present it has accommodation for 30 boys.
Direct State grants are not paid from the Health Vote to any of these institutions, but payments aggregating £111,292 have been made from the Hospitals' Trust Fund towards capital works at St. Joseph's and St. Mary's, Cabra, and that fund, as the Deputy is aware, has, in recent years, been in receipt of subventions from the Exchequer.
Health authorities contribute to the cost of maintenance of persons receiving services in these institutions in pursuance of the provisions of the Health Act, 1953, and the expenditure thus incurred is recouped to the extent of 50 per cent from the Health Vote.
The grants and payments referred to above are exclusive of any amounts made available by the Minister for Education in respect of educational services provided in the institutions.