Jim Higgins
Question:19 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health if he will increase the allocation of specific moneys for the necessary services for the mentally handicapped in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Mental Handicap Services Funding.
Jim Higgins
Question:58 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the crisis relief service for parents of autistics in County Mayo is about to be terminated; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 58 together. The provision of services for people with a mental handicap in County Mayo and, in the first instance, is a matter for the Western Health Board. It is also a matter for the board to determine the level of funding required for the maintenance of those services.
In relation to the additional funding of £8.5 million which has been made available for the development of services in 1993 for people with a mental handicap, a sum of £4 million has been allocated to the health board regions to provide a broad range of additional services. The allocation of this additional funding was determined on the basis of the waiting lists for services and on the current level of service provision in each area. The precise services and their location in the western region will be agreed by the mental handicap co-ordinating committee within the guidelines issued by my Department and are subject to my approval. As a result, I am not yet in a position to inform the Deputy of the additional funding which will be made available for mental handicap services in County Mayo this year.
Provision has also been made for the capital investment necessary to support the initiatives which will be put in place this year. The allocation of the £2.5 million capital funding made available in the budget will be directly related to the service developments agreed by the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees and approved by my Department.
In relation to services for people with autism, these services are provided in County Mayo by the Western Care Association as part of their mental handicap services with financial assistance from the Western Health Board.
Crisis relief is regarded as an essential element of services for people with a mental handicap and every effort is made to ensure that the needs of families in emergencies are met. There are facilities for day care at the Western Care Association in addition to respite care and day care facilities at Arus Attracta, Swinford, County Mayo.
A development plan for the provision of services specifically for children and adults with autism has been prepared by the association and is being examined by the Western Health Board.
In recognition of the importance of services for people with autism, national lottery funding of £65,000 was provided by my Department through the Western Health Board to the association in 1992 to facilitate the replacement of facilities at Ballinamore. A further national lottery grant of £70,000 was provided to the association in 1992 to assist them with funding difficulties.
Is the Minister aware that of the £8.5 million for future development the Western Health Board got a paltry £158,000 for 10 per cent of the country's population? Is the Minister further aware that the Western Care Association which caters for 400 young people through providing intensive services, remedial centres, training centres, early childhood centres and so on have had their funds cut back by £412,000 this year? The Minister may refer us to the Western Health Board but the decision was due to a shortfall in funds and, as a result, 32 jobs are on the line. I put it to the Minister that the week before the election the Minister's director of elections, Mr. Barry Desmond, promised, among the detailed proposals in Labour's programme, the provision of £25 million next year to catch up with the Needs and Abilities report prepared by the last administration and effectively shelved by them. How can the Minister brazenly turn his back on such a clear and unequivocal commitment, on which the hopes of so many parents and carers hung?
I am very proud of my ability, with Government support, to provide the greatest amount ever of resources for mentally handicapped services. We provided £8.5 million in addition to the £6 million extra provided last year bringing total expenditure on mentally handicapped services this year to £209 million. Of course, it is not enough. I wish I had more money for the elderly, child care and a range of other services. The reality is that voted moneys for the Department of Health amounted to £1,700 million this year. With other expenditures this year we will spend in excess of £2 billion. I am anxious to provide the best possible service, particularly to parents of mentally handicapped people.
In the Western Health Board area I understand that discussions are taking place between the Western Care Association and the Western Health Board. I hope that particular difficulties in that area can be overcome.
This Government has honoured the clear commitment to give priority to mental handicap services. Most mental handicap organisations throughout the country have already congratulated the Government in this regard.
Is the Minister aware of the particular problems of autism? Where there is an autistic child in a home the situtation is catastrophic, there are behavioural problems and they injure not alone themselves but anybody within striking distance. I have here a file containing eight letters from parents who are literally prisoners of their children in their homes. When the Minister comes to Mayo to open the new general hospital will he meet the parents to hear at first hand their situation and try to do something positive to retain some semblance of crisis relief?
An important issue is the support given for residential care and obviously resouces have to be targeted to the area of need. The information available to me is that we are in need of approximately 1,324 residential places, 3.9 per cent of which are in the Western Health Board area. I accept and am personally aware of the requirements of people with autism. Last Friday I opened Sligo General Hospital and availed of the opportunity to visit the Cloonamahon centre.
Sligo General Hospital——
If the Deputies opposite are not interested in the issue of mental handicap, I am.
Somebody who has opened the Sligo General Hospital for the third time has a particular interest.
The Sligo General Hospital was not opened previously. Deputies opposite may have thought it was.
It has been open for years.
I availed of the opportunity to visit a mental handicap centre and I am aware of the requirements. I will certainly examine any invitation I receive to meet any group dealing with mental handicap anywhere in the country.
That concludes questions for today.