Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 Feb 1991

Vol. 404 No. 6

Written Answers. - Services for Mentally Handicapped People.

Richard Bruton

Question:

179 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will outline as at 31 December 1990 or the most recent year available, the services available for mentally handicapped persons in conformity with the presentation in Table F3 of his Department's health statistics referring to the year ended 1985.

Richard Bruton

Question:

189 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the number of residential places now available; and the increase in these places over the past four years in respect of (1) adults with more severe degrees of mental handicap, (2) disturbed mentally handicapped and (3) mentally handicapped with multiple handicaps.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 189 together.

The most recent information available in the form requested by the Deputy is for 1988. The following table shows an increase of 1,200 in the number of people being catered for in 1988 compared to 1985.

The number of persons over 15 years with a moderate, severe or profound degree of handicap in residential accommodation increased from 4,164 in 1985 to 4,381 in 1988. Information which would enable the number of disturbed mentally handicapped people or the number with multiple handicaps in residence to be identified is not available. In addition to the foregoing, 149 residential places were provided in 1990 for all categories of mental handicap from the special budget allocation in that year.

Data on the 1989 and 1990 level of service provision is being collected and will be available later this year.

Table F3

Services for People with Mental Handicap: Numbers Catered for by the Type of Service for the year ended 31 December 1988

			Degree of Handicap
Setting/Service	Number of centres	Age Range	Mild	Moderate severe and profound	All Degrees	Overall Total
			Male	Female	Male	Female	Total Male	Total Female
Special residential centres operated by health board and voluntary agencies	53	All AgesUnder 15Over 15	28940249	23726211	2,1002861,814	2,0072031,804	2,3893262,063	2,2442292,015	4,6335554,078
Hostels and supervised lodgings	212	All AgesUnder 15Over 15	21838180	14710137	44227415	37729348	66065595	52439485	1,1841041,080
Day care attenders at special residential centres operated by health boards and voluntary agencies	22	All AgesUnder 15Over 15	21714	48642	213104109	26270192	234111123	31076234	544187357
Day workshop and training centres, at special residential centres operated by health board and voluntary agencies	15	All AgesUnder 15Over 15	86—86	95—95	129—129	130—130	215—215	225—225	440—440
Day care centres	58	All AgesUnder 15Over 15	88799	675017	680412268	524283241	768491277	591333258	1,359824535
Day workshops and occupational training centres	75	All AgesUnder 15Over 15	6601659	5431542	9226916	7415736	1,58271,575	1,28461,278	2,866132,853
Totals	435	All Ages	1,362	1,137	4,486	4,041	5,848	5,178	11,026
		Under 15	165	93	835	590	1,000	683	1,683
		Over 15	1,197	1,044	3,651	3,451	4,848	4,495	9,343