asked the Minister for Health whether he has received a request from the local authority that he sanction the giving over of Roscrea Sanatorium, County Tipperary, which has been closed for tuberculosis cases, for adaptation for the treatment of mentally handicapped children; and, if so, at what date he received such request for sanction; and at what date he expects to sanction the proposal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Roscrea Sanatorium.
1.
I received a recommendation from Tipperary (NR) County Council dated 3rd June, 1964, that I should investigate the possibility of using the former Roscrea Sanatorium as a regional hospital for mentally handicapped children. I was also informed by the local authority that they were considering a request from a local association that the buildings be handed over to the association for use as a school for mentally handicapped children.
I informed the health authority on 31st July, 1964, that, in view of the continuing pressure for institutional accommodation for severe cases of mental handicap, I would be prepared to consider the use of the institution as a temporary measure to relieve hardship in such cases where it had not been possible to place severely handicapped children in one of the special institutions for such purposes. It was envisaged that the centre at Roscrea, if established, would not be a fully equipped mental handicap centre, at least not for the present, and that whatever arrangements are decided on now would be of a provisional nature and would be subject to review when the Commission of Inquiry on Mental Handicap will have made known its findings. Because of this I considered that it would be preferable that the county council should operate this service.
The county council did not agree with this suggestion and on 23rd September, 1964, submitted a proposal for the leasing of the institution to the local association at a nominal annual rent, on conditions to be worked out later, for use as a school for mentally handicapped.
Unlike their previous suggestion, the latest proposal of the county council would not relieve the position in the area with respect to severely mentally handicapped children, who represent a serious problem, and I have found it necessary, in considering the council's latest proposal, to examine the possibility of providing otherwise for this category of patient. I hope it will be possible to complete this examination within the next few weeks, and I shall convey a decision to the council as soon as possible afterwards.