asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of the long delay in having mentally handicapped children admitted to suitable institutions; and if he will recommend that a unit in the new extension to Sligo County Hospital be reserved for the care and training of such children in Sligo-Leitrim.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mentally Handicapped Children.
22.
I am well aware that despite dramatic progress in recent years there is still long delay in having mentally handicapped children admitted to suitable institutions and I am doing everything possible to remedy the position as quickly as possible. In the past three years over 600 additional beds have been provided and considerable further extensions are under construction or in planning. The extensions in planning include a new 60-bed unit at Cregg House, Sligo, where there is already a specialised mental handicap centre. I do not consider the Sligo County Hospital would, in any event, be a suitable place for a unit for mentally handicapped children.
Without reflecting at all on the undoubted progress which has been made in dealing with mentally handicapped children, has the Minister any views as to when we might reasonably hope to capture the backlog and be able to cater for current needy cases?
It is rather difficult to say because the projections in regard to the number of children were all wrong mainly because of the emergence of new drugs which have enabled children to be kept alive. The situation is that there are at present plans for the provision of 752 further units——
Beds?
Yes, 752 more, and in addition to this, as a temporary expedient, we are using the former sanatorium in Roscrea—24 beds—and the former fever hospitals at Ennis and Carndonagh—24 beds each. The Ennis and Roscrea ones are already open and the unit at Carndonagh will be opened very shortly. It is very difficult to make a firm projection but I should hope that we will have solved the problem in about three years from now except in regard to very specialised cases.