Written Answers. - Mental Handicap Statistics.
Jim O'Keeffe
Question:
106
Mr. J. O'Keeffe
asked the
Minister for Health
the estimated number of persons with mental handicap who are cared for at home; the estimated economic cost of such care; the amount payable towards domiciliary care; and his views on whether such payment is adequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is estimated that about 15,500 persons have a moderate, severe or profound degree of mental handicap and most require extensive support from the health services. A further 10,000 who have a mild mental handicap require some ongoing support from the health services.
Over 13,000 people with a mental handicap were in receipt of specialised mental handicap services at the end of 1992, of whom 6,600 were in residential care and approximately 6,800 attended day care or workshop services. In addition, some 7,500 children attend special schools and classes operated under the aegis of the Department of Education. Details on the number of people with a mental handicap receiving home support or respite care services are being collected at present.
Total health expenditure on services for people with a mental handicap in 1993 will be about £217 million. This includes expenditure of £35.5 million on disabled person's maintenance allowances, and £3.7 million on domiciliary care allowances.
A breakdown of this expenditure between institutional and community-based services is not readily available. People with a mental handicap also have access to the generic health services the cost of which would be difficult to quantify and is not included in the figure of £217 million.
The existing data indicate that about 1,300 persons are listed for residential services and 1,400 for day care services. These figures need to be validated and agreement has recently been reached between my Department and the statutory and voluntary agencies providing services to people with mental handicap on the development of a national data base which will provide a wide range of data of this nature.
I would like to assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to developing and expanding services for people with mental handicap. As I have stated in the House on previous occasions an additional £8.5 million was made available for the development of services for people with a mental handicap in 1993. It is the largest amount ever allocated for the development of services for people with a mental handicap and is in addition to the £6 million made available last year which has been repeated in 1993.
The question of the provision of resources in 1994 for the development of services for people with a mental handicap is currently the subject of discussions with the Minister for Finance in the context of the budgetary arrangements for 1994.
