Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Jun 1992

Vol. 421 No. 5

Written Answers. - Mental Handicap Services.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

18 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health if he has received details from each health board of their estimated needs to provide care for persons with a mental handicap in their area; and if he will make available a summary of the service needs and their estimated costs, in order to promote a more informed debate on the gaps in service.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Connell)

11,846 persons with a mental handicap are currently in receipt of day or residential services. The breakdown of the level of activity is as follows: Residential, 4,548; Hostel, 1,515; Day Service, 5,783. In addition some 7,500 children attend special schools and classes operated under the aegis of the Department of Education.

These figures relate to service levels in 1990 and are currently being updated.

The report of the review group — Needs and Abilities, which has been accepted in principle by the Government, sets out the accumulated and emerging needs of people with a mental handicap. In the period between 1990 and 1994 the review group estimated that 600 residential places and 1,000 day places were required to meet accumulated needs with an emerging annual need for 40 residential and 200 day places.

The Government is committed to the improvement and expansion of these services under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and the Programme for Government. The Programme for Economic and Social Progress envisages a seven year implementation period and in the past three years an extra £9 million has been allocated for the development of these services.

Information available to my Department indicates that an additional 1,064 residential and 1,376 day places are required for people with a mental handicap. The position for each health board area at the beginning of 1992 was:

Health Board	Additional Residential/Day Places Required
East	582	573
Midland	63	139
Mid-West	85	100
North-East	62	7
North-West	24	32
Southern	99	178
South-East	104	277
West	45	70

The above mentioned information does not, however, take account of the developments which will result from the additional funding allocated in 1992. The figures will be revised in the light of these developments as the various initiatives are implemented.

Of the £5 million available for additional revenue costs in 1992, £1.2 million has been allocated to provide an additional 80 residential places and a similar sum has been allocated to provide 300 days places for those most in need of such services.

In addition a further 41 respite places catering for approximately 500 additional families are also being developed and 20 places in Dublin are being provided to ensure that emergencies can be responded to as they arise.

Other services being developed include a home care programme which should provide a service for up to 1,000 families, additional services for those persons with mental handicap who are also disturbed and the provision of 3 extra early intervention teams and 55 places in child education and development centres.

The above mentioned developments will make a considerable impact on the expressed services needs and as such give rise to the need to revise the data already submitted.