Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Mar 1991

Vol. 406 No. 8

Adjournment Debate. - Residential Place for Mentally Handicapped Child.

Mr. Doyle

I thank you, Sir, for allowing me to raise this matter tonight. I took the unusual step today of faxing to the Minister's office the details of this case and he will be aware of the facts. The child in question is mentally handicapped but also, most unusually, suffers from epilepsy which is uncontrolled. The girl has been assessed and has attended a number of schools. She is now 14 years of age. Unfortunately, she cannot be kept at school due to the number of attacks she gets. The school have neither the facilities nor the personnel to deal with her health situation and she is now permanently at home.

I received representations about this case. I also received a letter from the mother of the child and I think one paragraph of the letter sums up the cruel predicament the parents find themselves in. I quote from the mother's letter:

Most importantly of all is that we just cannot cope at home on a full-time basis. I am emotionally and physically drained as our daughter needs full-time supervision day and night. Someone needs to be in the same room as her all the time because of the unpredicatability of her attacks. I am totally confined to the house at all times. I cannot even go for a walk with her or to the shops in case she has an attack on the way and I would not be able to cope on the side of the road. My husband is out at work all day and my other children are in college. They are very supportive but they have to lead their own lives.

The mother goes on to describe the situation she finds herself in and finishes by saying, "we really are near despair". I can understand the situation the parents find themselves in trying to cope. I raised this matter to try to get the Minister's support in obtaining a residential school placing from Monday to Friday for this child so that the parents will have both the physical and emotional energy at the weekend to help this child. That is a reasonable request. The Minister has all the details as to the number of schools and places where the child has tried to find placement. without success. I raise the matter tonight in the hope that the Minister will be able to respond favourably.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Flood)

In 1990 approximately £160 million was spent on a wide range of service for people with a mental handicap. This includes funding of voluntary agencies by health boards and directly by my Department, services provided by health boards, maintenance of people with mental handicap in psychiatric hospitals and the cost of providing disabled persons maintenance allowances and domiciliary care allowances to people with mental handicap. This does not include services funded by the Department of Education. Over 12,000 people are in receipt of a day or residential service funded either directly by my Department or through health boards. In addition, some 8,500 people attend special schools or classes funded by the Department of Education.

I am aware that the present level of service provision falls short of meeting all needs. For this reason, regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees were reactivated in each health board area to produce multi-annual plans for the development of the service in a prioritised and co-ordinated way.

Last year the Government provided an additional allocation of £2 million to meet the immediate priority needs identified by the co-ordinating committees. This allocation enabled 149 residential places, 442 day places and 21 respite care places to provide breaks to about 200 people to be approved. It was also possible to provide 25 extra staff for other supports.

This year a further £1 million is being allocated to build on last year's positive developments. Under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress the Government are committed to the development of services for people with mental handicap to meet identified needs in the year 1991-1992.

I must also point out that allocations to voluntary mental handicap agencies funded by my Department have been protected since 1986 in real terms in recognition of the vital service they provide. This Government's record shows a commitment to mental handicap services, and an understanding that this area should be regarded as a high priority.

I have made inquiries about the case to which the Deputy refers. The Eastern Health Board, who are statutorily responsible for the provision of mental handicap services, are actively seeking a suitable placement for this person. She is included on the board's priority list for residential placement and the board are also pursuing inquiries with the Department of Education. I would like to assure the Deputy that every effort is being made to resolve the issue as soon as possible. I intend to take a personal interest in the matter.