asked the Minister for Health the number of residential and day care centres available in the Eastern Health Board area to cater for severely mentally handicapped young adults who are no longer catered for in residential children's centres; and what action he proposes to take to meet this urgent need.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mentally Handicapped Care Centres.
13.
There are six residential centres, eight day care centres and six hostels in the Eastern Health Board area catering for mentally handicapped adults. These facilities cater for about 1,630 moderately and severely mentally handicapped persons over 16 years of age who may be admitted either from home or from children's residential centres.
There are projects in planning at the moment which will provide an additional 280 day and 140 residential places for adults in the Eastern Health Board area over the next few years.
There are also a number of other projects for the provision of such facilities in the health board's area at a preliminary stage of examination in my Department. I am not in a position however to say at this stage when these will be provided but I will have the proposals examined as quickly as possible.