John Bruton
Question:532 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if, in the past year, any significant reduction has been made in the waiting list of 1,300 mentally handicapped persons seeking sheltered residential accommodation.
Written Answers. - Sheltered Residential Accommodation.
The number of people with a mental handicap in residential accommodation provided by the specialist mental handicap services increased from 6,063 at the end of 1990 to over 6,600 at the end of 1993.
Information received from the health boards suggests that there are approximately 1,378 people awaiting residential places. What is not clear however from the information available to my Department is the proportion of those on waiting lists who require immediate placement and the level of care they require. Nor does it indicate those who, with the provision of other services such as day services or home support services, may not immediately require residential placement or those who at some stage in the future will require residential care.
My Department, with the agreement of the statutory and voluntary agencies, is in the process of establishing a national data base on the needs of people with mental handicap. This data base will provide information, on an ongoing basis, on the numbers of people with mental handicap in each region, the number currently in receipt of services and those awaiting services, their current and future needs and the level of support which is required to meet those needs. As the Deputy is aware the Government, in line with the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government, is making available an additional £12.5 million in 1994 for the development of services for people with a mental handicap. £2.5 million will be used to strengthen the funding base of existing services and to meet some essential service needs. The remaining £10 million will be used to put in place a broad range of additional services which will include a substantial number of residential places. In 1994 a six year capital programme for the training of persons with a disability will begin involving a total expenditure of £36 million. Four million pounds will be spent this year.
The additional funding provided in 1994 will bring the total increase in the provision for services for people with mental handicap to £25 million since I became Minister for Health (£8.5 million in 1993 and £12.5 million plus £4 million capital in 1994).
I am unable at present to give the Deputy details concerning the residential places which will be put in place in any particular area. The precise services to be provided in each health board area will be agreed in consultation with the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees.