asked the Minister for Health if, as there is a great need throughout the country for institutional accommodation for child mental defectives, and as there is a considerable number of empty beds in the Dublin region, he will consider taking the necessary steps to have a substantial number of these beds made available for this purpose.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Accommodation for Child Mental Defectives.
7.
The possibility of utilising some of the vacant bed accommodation in the Dublin region for accommodating mentally retarded children has been under discussion on a number of occasions in recent years between officers of the Dublin Health Authority and officers of my Department. The last such discussion took place in December last. Various possibilities have been considered but, so far, no feasible scheme has emerged. The matter will be kept under active consideration. The Deputy will appreciate, however, that the problem is a difficult one. Many of the difficulties are enumerated in the White Paper on the problem of the mentally handicapped published by my Department in 1960.
The number of places available in the special institution for mentally handicapped children has been almost doubled in the past ten years and proposals have been approved which will provide about 300 extra beds.
Is the Minister aware that despite whatever discussions there may have been with the Dublin Health Authority, nothing whatever is being done by the Dublin Health Authority and I am a member of that body? Is the Minister aware that the accommodation is there but none of the local authorities is facing up to its responsibilities in this matter? That is the reason I put down this question.
Discussions with the Dublin Health Authority took place last December, which is not very far back.
If they did, the matter did not come before us at the health authority.