Vol. 416 No. 7
91 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the funds which will be made available to the North-Eastern Health Board from the extra £10 million which has been made available for services for the mentally handicapped, and if a school (details supplied) in County Meath will be allocated substantial funds from these extra moneys.
The extra £10 million for services for people with mental handicap referred to by the Deputy consists of an additional £4 million to maintain the level of services provided by voluntary mental handicap agencies and health boards, and an additional £5 million revenue and £1 million capital to fund new services this year. As regards the additional funding to maintain the level of services in the north east, this figure is not yet available and I will communicate with the Deputy again at a later date.
The £5 million additional revenue funding made available this year to develop new services for people with mental handicap has been allocated in proportion to need in each health board area. On that basis, £140,000 has been allocated to the north eastern region. The additional £1 million capital made available for new services in 1992 has not yet been allocated. The north eastern region will receive a share of this funding.
I would like to point out that the funding of the special school and the care unit referred to by the Deputy are matters, in the first instance, for the Department of Education and the North Eastern Health Board respectively.
I have asked the health board to discuss and agree with the Regional Mental Handicap Co-ordinating Committee details of the services to be developed this year with the additional funds made available.
