Vol. 411 No. 4
195 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the total amount of money spent on providing services for people with a mental handicap, excluding all moneys spent on the provision of the disabled person's maintenance allowance, within each of the health board areas in each of the last five years; and if he will differentiate between money spent by health boards, other State agencies and voluntary agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
197 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the money spent on the provision of services for people with a mental handicap in the Eastern Health Board area, on an agency by agency basis, for each of the last five years; and if he will give a breakdown of the money on a service basis, such as residential care, vocational training, sheltered workshops and community care services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 197 together.
All the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available for the period in question. It is being collected by my Department and will be provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.
196 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the role played by the National Rehabilitation Board in allocating funds for services for people with a mental handicap; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
198 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if, in respect of vocational training services for people with a mental handicap, he will outline (a) the resources spent by his Department, (b) the resources supplied from the European Social Fund, (c) the resources supplied by voluntary agencies and (d) any other sources of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
199 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the conditions attaching to moneys provided by the European Social Fund for the provision of training services for people with a mental handicap; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
202 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health the reason some people with a mental handicap require assessment by the National Rehabilitation Board before being accepted for vocational training in addition to assessments carried out within the existing services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
203 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if it is the case that no funding can be made available for vocational training programmes from the European Social Fund unless those training programmes are in a position to guarantee open employment at the end of the training period; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
205 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health the steps he takes to monitor the spending of European Social Fund and other moneys, including moneys they collect on a voluntary basis, by agencies providing service for people with a mental handicap; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
206 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the nature and type of assessments carried out by the National Rehabilitation Board in any case where they are assessing people with a mental handicap as to their suitability for training; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 196, 198, 199, 202, 203, 205 and 206 together.
The European Social Fund provides financial assistance to vocational training programmes which are aimed at providing persons with open employment. This does not mean that training programmes must guarantee open employment at the end of the training period.
The main conditions attaching to moneys provided by the ESF for the provision of training services for people with disabilities, including people with a mental handicap, are contained in the "Standard Clauses — Commission Requirements" attaching to the Operational Programme for the Integration of Disabled People and in the EC Council Regulation No. 4255/88 of 19 December 1988. I am arranging to forward copies of these documents to the Deputy.
200 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of his current policy in relation to the provision of sheltered employment for people with a mental handicap; the amount of resources allocated for that purpose in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
208 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health the number of people with a mental handicap who are in receipt of vocational training services in each health board region; the number of additional places required; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
209 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health the number of people with a mental handicap who are in sheltered employment in each health board region; the number of additional places required; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
210 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health the number of places available for people with a mental handicap in (a) vocational training and (b) sheltered employment in each health board area for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 200, 208, 209 and 210 together.
The Report of the Review Group on Mental Handicap Services — Needs and Abilities deals with the issues of training and employment of people with mental handicap. The report, which has been adopted by Government in principle, stresses the importance of continuing the stimulus and effort provided in early intervention and school programmes throughout adulthood. It recommends that all pupils who avail of special educational programmes should have access to pre-vocational and vocational training. It recognises that on completion of training, and where open employment is not possible, the majority of people with mental handicap will require employment in a sheltered environment.
The report recommends that the Department of Labour should play a greater role in the training and employment of people with mental handicap who are capable of following the training provided and who are suitable for open employment. Discussions will shortly take place with the Department of Labour on this matter.
The number of places in day workshops and training centres for people with mental handicap increased from 2,485 in 1985 to 3,423 in 1990. It is not possible from the information available to the Department to distinguish between the number of people with mental handicap who are in sheltered employment and those in vocational training or the number of places involved. The provision of vocational training and sheltered employment is an integral part of the services provided for people with mental handicap and separate expenditure figures are not available.
201 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of his current policy in relation to integration of people with a mental handicap into the community; the amount of resources allocated for that purpose in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
My Department's policy on the provision of services for people with mental handicap is outlined in the Report of the Review Group on Mental Handicap Services — Needs and Abilities.
The report indicates that with adequate support, the majority of people with mental handicap can live in the community. The Government have accepted the recommendations of the report in principle and are committed to their implementation under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress.
The number of hostels and supervised lodgings has increased from 127 in 1985 to 242 in 1990. The number of places in these hostels and lodgings has increased from 773 to 1,492 in the same period. The number of places in day care units and workshops has increased from 3,962 in 1985 to 5,476 in 1990.
The integration of people with a mental handicap into the community is an integral part of service provision for which separate expenditure figures are not available.
