asked the Minister for Health the number of mentally retarded children awaiting accommodation in institutions; and the proposals he has to provide accommodation for such children, with special reference to the children in the North Eastern Health Board area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mentally Retarded Children.
22.
In the country as a whole there are approximately 580 children awaiting placement in special residential centres for mentally handicapped children. About 65 of these are from the North Eastern Health Board area. Both figures exclude children who are yet too young for placement as well as children whose parents have refused vacancies where offered them.
Except for a day care unit being planned for St. Mary's, Drumcar, I have no specific proposals before me for the provision of additional accommodation for children from the North Eastern Health Board area.
There are schemes under construction or in planning for other areas at present which will provide about 1,000 places in residential centres. About 730 of these places will be for adults but many of them will release accommodation for children on the waiting lists. A number of other proposals are at an early stage of consideration.
Since admissions to residential centres are not strictly related to particular areas or regions, I would expect the additional provisions to which I have referred to provide some further places for children from the north east.
Would the Minister agree that this is a serious situation and that there is a lot of hardship involved when so many parents are unable to have those children admitted to an institution? Does the Minister not agree that something should be done to relieve that backlog?
An institution cannot be built overnight. Some buildings are in the course of construction and there are plans ready for the construction of other buildings, all of which will provide an extra 1,000 beds.
Are any of them scheduled for the North Eastern Health Board area?
I have no proposals from the North Eastern Health Board area.
If that board sent a proposal for the erection of such an institution, would the Minister accept it?
I will consider it.
Because there are 65 on the waiting list would the Minister deal with such a proposal speedily?
As soon as we get the plans we will give them urgent consideration.
Will the Minister agree that in the meantime some of the institutions that are not over crowded should accommodate some of the patients I have referred to?
If the health board so decide, I will not disagree.
Would the Minister agree to such a recommendation from the health board?
I should like to have the recommendation first. I agree that this is a serious situation but it was not tackled as it should have been previously.
The Minister's predecessor tackled it.