Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Jun 1992

Vol. 421 No. 5

Written Answers. - Day Care Facilities.

Eamon Gilmore

Question:

80 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Health the specific steps he intends to take to meet the commitment given in the Review of the Programme for Government to provide improved day care facilities for (1) the elderly, (2) psychiatric patients and (3) the mentally handicapped; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Connell)

Specific steps are being taken to implement the commitment given in the Review of the Programme for Government to provide improved day care facilities for the elderly, psychiatric patients and people with mental handicap.

Day care services for the elderly are developing in line with the recommendations of the report, The Years Ahead — A Policy for the Elderly, which has been adopted in principle by Government. Considerable progress has been made towards implementing its recommendations as a result of the special allocation of £8 million for services for the elderly in the past two years. I intend to maintain the momentum in developing new and improved day care facilities for the elderly.

As regards improved day care facilities for psychiatric patients, I am committed to the aims of the report,Planning for the Future, published in 1984, which recommended a shift from the traditional institutional approach to a community oriented delivery of psychiatric services. Since the publication of this report significant progress has been made in expanding day care facilities, with a corresponding decrease in numbers of persons receiving care in psychiatric hospitals. For example, the number of day hospitals and day centres increased from 32 in 1984 to 94 at the end of 1990. The number of day places increased from 800 to 2,424 in the same period. It is my intention that future allocations of resources in respect of the provision of psychiatric services will be used to maintain and improve the trend in the development of day care facilities.

As regards mental handicap services, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that with the £6 million provided this year for additional services significant improvements will be put in place. For example, there are about 5,700 day care places available at present and during the year I will be providing about 300 additional day places, a home support service for up to 1,000 families and additional respite care for 500 persons with a handicap. These are very significant improvements and indicate the Government's resolve to meet the commitments in the Programme for Government.