asked the Minister for Health if a health authority may provide transport to and from special day-schools for mentally handicapped children.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Transport for Mentally Handicapped Children.
1.
The education of children, whether handicapped or not, is not a function of the Minister for Health and accordingly he has no statutory power which would enable him to direct a health authority to provide transport for children to or from day schools of any description. Under Section 104 of the Health Act, 1947, as amended, a health authority may make arrangements for providing ambulances or other means of transport but in respect of patients only.
I understand, however, that the Minister for Education, in appropriate circumstances, makes contributions towards the cost of transport involved in the attendance of mentally handicapped children at special day schools which have been approved by his Department.
I raised this matter yesterday because I have failed to get transport for eight children in Clondalkin. Does the Minister say positively that the Minister for Education will provide it or can the Taoiseach assure me that it can be provided?
Would the Deputy repeat the supplementary?
There are eight children in Clondalkin for whom transport cannot be provided. Dublin Health Authority say they cannot legally provide this transport. The Department of Education can provide it only in part, through a voluntary organisation. Is there no way in which transport can be provided as these children are supposed to be children who are suitable for admission to the day schools and are prevented from attending them through lack of transport?
If they are suitable for admission to day schools, I have no doubt, if circumstances permitted, the Minister for Education would provide transport. So far as the Minister for Health is concerned, he is bound by the law. I know Deputy Clinton does not have much regard for that, but I do; and I cannot provide transport except for patients and these children are not patients.
Could the Minister say if there are many of these approved schools to which the Minister for Education is empowered to make a contribution for transport?
There are.
Would they be fairly widespread?
There are no less than seven in the county and city of Dublin.
Could the Minister say approximately what would be the total?
I shall give the Deputy the information that has been given to me by the Minister for Education—13.
Therefore, there are not many of these schools in the whole country.
There are almost as many as are necessary.
That is ridiculous.
Is the Minister prepared to tell us the amount of the contribution available to the Department of Education for this purpose?
I think the Deputy has been long enough in this House to know that he should address that question to the Minister for Education.
Is the Minister serious when he tells Deputies that there are nearly enough schools for children falling within this category? Is he not aware that every Deputy has, as his perennial anxiety, to attempt to find accommodation for mentally retarded children in his own district? I do not believe there is a day——
Is that a speech?
No, it is not
Will the Deputy then permit me to answer a question? The Deputy has been talking about providing residential accommodation for children. This is quite a different matter. These are children residing with their own parents and who certainly can be catered for in day schools within a reasonable distance of their own locality. The schools are fairly wide-spread.
Only 13 for the whole country?
There are also others but the Deputy asked about those which had been approved by the Minister for Education. I am not going to answer questions for the Minister for Education. The leader of the Labour Party can put down a question to the Minister for Education and he should get the information.
It is in the Minister's brief now. He knows the answer.
If these children were classed as patients, the Minister would be able to help?
Yes, and I do help such cases.
But do they have to be residential?
They have to be residential.