asked the Minister for Health if he proposes to dispense with the development of large institutional type mental hospitals and replace them with smaller community-based units.
Written Answers. - Mental Patient Facilities.
570.
The number of patients in public psychiatric hospitals has continued to fall from 14,922 in 1971 to 12,365 at the end of 1981. There are no proposals to develop any new large psychiatric hospitals but the present hospitals will necessarily continue to be used in the foreseeable future. At the same time it is my firm intention to press ahead with the development of alternative community based facilities as quickly as resources permit.