Vol. 411 No. 4
211 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health the reason he has not responded in any way, other than an acknowledgment, to a detailed and lengthy report on the facilities available in the Dublin area for young people with a mental handicap which was prepared and sent to him some months ago by the mothers of three such young people; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The report referred to by the Deputy is being examined in my Department. A meeting has been arranged in the near future between officials of my Department and the authors of the report to discuss its contents and recommendations.
212 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health the progress which has been made on the recommendations of the working party on the education and training of severely and profoundly mentally handicapped children (1983) in so far as they involved his Department and, in particular, the proposals that (a) each care unit should have a minimum non-teaching front line staff of 15 for each group of 50 children, (b) schools for children with moderate handicap which admit persons with severe and profound handicaps would get extra resources and (c) a comprehensive transport service would be provided to centres.
The lead role for the implementation of the recommendations of the report on The Education and Training of Severely and Profoundly Mentally Handicapped Children in Ireland, is a matter for the Minister for Education.
The report recommended the introduction of teaching staff to develop education programmes for children with severe and profound mental handicap who are being cared for in centres funded through my Department. It is the policy of my Department to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations of the report.
It is the responsibility of the individual mental handicap agencies to decide the level of front line staff in care units for children with severe and profound mental handicap in the light of the needs of the children and the resources available.
I understand from my colleague, the Minister for Education, that children attending these services are facilitated by the school transport system or parents are grant assisted to enable them to make their own transport arrangements.
