Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 1980

Vol. 322 No. 5

Written Answers. - Children in Public Care.

396.

Mr. Horgan

asked the Minister for Health if he will state in relation to each health board area the number of residential places available for children in public care indicating (a) the name of each facility, (b) its location, (c) its form of management, (d) the number of places it provides by age and sex, and (e) whether short or long-term care is provided.

Minister for Health (Dr. Woods)

The information requested is shown in the table hereunder:

				No. of places
Health Board	Name of Facility	Location	Management	Male	Female
Eastern	St. Kyran's	Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow	Sisters of Mercy	38	20
	St. Vincents	Goldenbridge, Inchicore	Sisters of Mercy	25	33
	The Grange	Kill-o-the-Grange, Inchicore	Sister of Our Lady of Charity	—	—
	St. Anne's	Kilmacud, Stillorgan	Sisters of Our Lady of Charity	—	15
	St. Vincents	North William Street	Sisters of Mercy	4	10
	St. Anne's	Booterstown, Blackrock	Sisters of Mercy	6	11
	St. Mary's	Lakelands, Sandymount	Sister of Charity	9	16
	Re Ville Training Centre	Lr. Seán MacDermott Street, Dublin	Sisters of Our Lady of Charity	—	10
	St. Clare's	Harolds Cross	Sisters of St. Clares	7	22
	St. Joseph's	Tivoli Road, Dún Laoghaire	Daughters of the Heart of Mary	8	15
	St. Laurence's	Finglas, Dublin	De La Salle Brothers	88	—
	St. Saviours	Lr. Dominick Street, Dublin	Dominican Fathers	39	—
	Trudder House	Newtownmountkennedy, County Wicklow	Dublin Committee for Travelling People	6	—
	Sacred Heart Home	Lr. Drumcondra, Dublin	Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent due Paul	12	33
	High Park and Cuain Mhuire	Drumcondra, Dublin	Sisters of Our Lady of Charity	8	9
—	15
	Cottage Home	Tivoli Road, Dún Laoghaire	General Committee	18	9
	Don Bosco House	38/39 Upr. Gardiner Street Dublin 1	Salesian Fathers	13	—
	Glensilva	Tivoli Road, Dún Laoghaire	Mrs. Smyly's Homes	15	8
	Kirwan House	Ranelagh, Dublin	Board of Governors	4	6
	Madonna House	Blackrock, County Dublin	Irish Sisters of Charity	—	—
	Miss Carr's	Northbrook Road, Dublin	Miss Carr's Homes	7	8
	Sarsfield House	Inchicore, Dublin 8	Sons of Divine Providence	17	—
	Scoil Ard Mhuire	Lusk, County Dublin	Department of Education	47	—
South-Eastern	St. Joseph's	Ferryhouse, Clonmel	Rosminian Fathers	78	—
	Gracepark Training Centre	Waterford	Good Shepherd Sisters	—	—
	Mayfield Home	College Street, Waterford	Good Shepherd Sister	12	19
	St. Michael's	Cappoquin, County Waterford	Sister of Mercy	26	14
	St. Michael's	Wexford	Mercy Convent	—	11
	St. Joseph's	Waterford Road, Kilkenny	Sister of Charity	55	50
North-Western	Nazareth House	Fahan, Lifford,	Nazareth Sisters	5	3
		County Donegal
	Nazareth House	Sligo	Sisters of Nazareth	—	10
	Letterkenny Family Group Home	Letterkenny	Health Board	1	5
	Geevagh, County Sligo	Sligo	Health Board	1	2
Southern	Liosomoine	Killarney	Sisters of Mercy	8	16
	St. Joseph's	Mallow	Sister of Mercy	16	16
	St. Coleman's	Rushbrooke, County Cork	Sister of Mercy	66	9
	St. Joseph's	Passage West, Cork	Sister of Mercy	26	4
	Nazareth House	Tralee	Sister of Mercy	12	13
	St. Finbarr's	Sunday's Well, County Cork	Good Shepherd	17	27
	Marymount Training Centre	Sunday's Well, County Cork	Good Shepherd	—	9
Midland	Mount Carmel	Moate, County Westmeath	Sister of Mercy	29	29
Western	St. Joseph's	Clifden, County Galway	Sister of Mercy	19	11
	Aisling and Loyola	Renmore, County Galway	Sister of Mercy	3	14
Mid-Western	Mount St. Vincents	O'Connell Avenue, Limerick	St. Mary's Community	22	27
	St. Georges	Clare Street, Limerick	Good Shepherd Sisters	14	23
North-Eastern	St. Vincents	Fair Street, Drogheda	Daughters of Charity	26	9
	St. Joseph's	Dundalk, County Louth	Sisters of Mercy	—	5
	St. Clare's	Stamullen, County Meath	Sister of St. Clare	26	17

As regards the ages of children the homes are approved generally for the reception of children up to the age of sixteen years. The duration of stay on the circumstances of each individual case.

397.

Mr. Horgan

asked the Minister for Health the form of consultative machinery which exists, on a formal or informal basis, between his Department and the resident managers of residential child care facilities; if such machinery represents or includes all such child care facilities; and, if not, the number of child care facilities unrepresented on such consultation machinery; and the proportion of the total number of child care places available represented by the institutions concerned.

Minister for Health (Dr. Woods)

Regular meetings take place between officers of my Department, the Department of Education and a sub-committee of the Conference of Major Religious Superiors representing the managers of the majority of residential child care homes. At these meetings issues arising in residential care and in the operation of residential homes are discussed.

A small numbers of homes, providing approximately 5 per cent of the total number of residential child care places available are not represented by the sub-committee referred to above.

The managers of these homes were invited some time ago to discuss with officers of my Department the main developments in child care and the question of their representation in future discussions concerning residential care. It is the intention of my Department to keep these homes fully involved in any developments in residential care and to involve them in regular meetings with the representatives of the majority of homes.

398.

Mr. Horgan

asked the Minister for Health the facilities or arrangements for the aftercare of children who have been in public care in institutions funded by, or under the direct control of, his Department; the amount of money allocated for such purposes; and the individuals or agencies to which such moneys are paid.

Minister for Health (Dr. Woods)

The manager of each residential home, normally in consultation with the relevant health board, makes arrangements for the care of children when the time comes for them to leave the home. Health boards support homes which provide accommodation for young people aged 16 and over while completing their education or apprenticeship. Many homes continue to provide accommodation to young people until they find a job or an alternative place to live.

Health board social workers assist young people leaving residential homes in finding employment and accommodation. They also advise them on the services available to them and may also help them financially. A number of health boards support hostel facilities for the after-care of young people who have lived in residential care.

It is not possible to give separate revenue costs for after-care of children and young people as the costs are part of the on-going child care services. In 1979 a grant of £40,000 was made available to the South-Eastern Health Board to support the provision of after-care accommodation for boys and girls.