asked the Minister for Health to outline the policy for provision of facilities for the mentally handicapped in psychiatric hospitals.
24.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mentally Handicapped Facilities
23.
asked the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the facilities and services available for mentally handicapped people in this country and the proposals he has to improve same.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 23 and 24 together.
While I am generally satisfied with the quality of our existing specialised facilities and services for the mentally handicapped there is a need to increase such facilities.
For this reason I have approved a comprehensive scheme of developments which over the next few years will provide an additional 1,510 residential places and 800 day care places for children and adults at various locations throughout the country. Details of these various projects were set out in the lists circulated with my reply to a question on 28 February last.
The general policy in relation to the mentally handicapped in psychiatric hospitals has been to end further admission of such persons to psychiatric hospitals as soon as sufficient alternative accommodation has been provided in special residential centres.
For those who have been admitted to psychiatric hospitals it is the policy to separate them from other groups of patients and to provide them with a programme of care suitable to their particular needs. The extent to which this policy has been implemented varies from one hospital to another and has been influenced by accommodation and staffing difficulties.
Is the Minister aware of the great disappointment and anguish caused to those people who care for handicapped children in psychiatric hospitals by the announcement last week that the 72-bed unit at Portrane would be opened to accommodate geriatrics instead of accommodating mentally retarded children?
I am aware of that.
This has happened despite the assurance given by the Taoiseach that the unit would be used to accommodate mentally retarded children.
The Deputy is making a speech.
I am merely stating facts.
It is not in order to make speeches at Question Time.
Would the Minister indicate whether the recent decision to accommodate psycho-geriatrics in this unit at St. Ita's indicates that there is not to be a separation in the Eastern Health Board area of the mentally handicapped service and the psychiatric service?
The decision to place psycho-geriatric patients in this unit was reached in an emergency-type situation. As the Deputy is aware there is a very difficult situation at St. Ita's, a problem that has existed for some time, and this problem has been aggravated recently by the fact that certain repair, renovation and improvement works are in progress there and also by reason of the fact that some of the substandard accommodation there has been closed. In that situation and because no progress could be made in sorting out the staffing problems relating to this 72-bed unit, I decided as an emergency measure to relieve some of the overcrowding by transferring these patients to the new unit. It seemed a shame that this good, up-to-date modern equipment and accommodation would be left idle indefinitely. However, I assure the Deputies concerned that this is not the end of the matter and that I have established a group who are investigating the situation and supervising it as a matter of urgency in order to decide what can be done to improve the position, particularly the position of the mentally handicapped patients there. We have in mind a proposal which we are exploring urgently and which if it can be put into effect should bring very considerable relief quickly to the whole situation.
Question No. 25.
I should like to ask another question. While I appreciate the extent to which the Minister has answered the supplementary, the question related to whether the decision meant that there would not be any further progress in providing a separate service for the mentally handicapped as distinct from providing a service for psycho-geriatric patients in the Eastern Health Board area.
I assure the Deputy that the decision does not indicate anything of the sort. The proposal to which I referred and which is under immediate and urgent examination would be in pursuance of the policy of the separation of the two services.
Is the accommodation for geriatrics in this 72-bed unit to be on a temporary basis pending renovations and improvements at St. Ita's?
It is on a temporary basis. It is my wish that this unit, which was designed specifically for a certain type of mentally handicapped patient, would revert to that purpose as quickly as possible.
I have called the next question.
There is one further question. Is the Minister concerned that what appears to have been a specific undertaking by the Taoiseach in regard to this problem has not been honoured?
I do not know what undertaking the Deputy is referring to.
The undertaking referred to by Deputy Lipper and which was given by the Taoiseach at the Ard Fheis.
The difficulty is that while the unit is available it cannot be used for the purpose for which it was intended because of staffing difficulties. I have assured the House that there is under active and urgent examination an alternative that would relieve the situation.
We must move on to the next question.
It is my information——
We cannot continue all day on this question.