Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Jun 1992

Vol. 420 No. 9

Written Answers. - Provision for Mentally Handicapped.

Dick Spring

Question:

137 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Health if, in light of the fact that the result of present inadequate provisions for mentally handicapped adults, who are unable to work on the open market, is often near complete curtailment of the parent's freedom after job training is finished, he will outline the specific plans, if any, he has to provide funding to voluntary organisations who wish to provide support services to these people's parents or other carers; and if he will provide a timetable for the implementation of these funds.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Connell)

The European Social Fund (ESF) provides assistance towards the cost of training people, including people with mental handicap, for employment in the open market. The Level I training programme under the ESF is of three years duration. Following completion of the Level I course, trainees are assessed as to whether they meet the criteria for admission to the Level II training funded by the ESF. If they meet these criteria, they may participate in a Level II training programme for a further two years. The ESF does not aid sheltered work programmes or the training of people with disabilities for sheltered employment.

The current ESF rules remain in force until the end of 1993. My Department will be pressing strongly for a broadening of the scope of eligible activities under the post 1993 ESF to include training for sheltered or supported employment. Officials from my Department have already had discussions with the Departments of Finance and Labour and have made our views known to EC Commission officials on this issue.

The provision of sheltered work programmes and sheltered employment is an intergral part of the services provided by voluntary and statutory mental handicap agencies. Expenditure on services for people with mental handicap from the health vote in 1992 will be of the order of £200 million. The extra £5 million revenue provided this year will enable significant improvements in services to be put in place in 1992. This will enable 80 residential places, 300 day places, 41 respite places catering for about 500 families, 20 emergency service places, 6 places for people with disturbed behaviour, 3 early intervention teams and 55 child education and development centre places to be provided this year.

The mental handicap initiative also includes a home support service to assist families caring for a son or daughter with mental handicap. The aim of the new home support service is to provide greater support, in as flexible a manner as possible, for these families. This support could be provided in a number of different ways depending on individual needs. For instance it could take the form of a care relief service to enable parents or carers to have some free time or it could be the involvement of the person with a mental handicap on recreation or leisure activities outside the home. It is hoped to assist in this manner between 600 and 1,000 families with the burden of caring for a person with mental handicap at home.