Written Answers - Mental Handicap Statistics.
Richard Bruton
Question:
151
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Health
the number of persons with a mental handicap in the Eastern Health Board area who are waiting for residential care; and the way in which this number compares with the numbers waiting for residential care in each of the past four years.
From information currently available within the Eastern Health Board region, the number of persons with a mental handicap awaiting residential care for the years 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 is as follows:—
Residential Care.
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
1994
|
|
588
|
623
|
559
|
553
|
Comparable information is not available for 1990.
During this period the following additional services were put in place:
1991: 20 residential places in Cheeverstown House. In addition the commissioning of places in Áras Attracta, Swinford, County Mayo, freed up a further 12 places in centres in the Eastern region.
1992: 63 residential places, 20 respite places, 20 emergency service places, six disturbed service places — including the replacement of Unit B. St. Loman's Hospital.
1993: 30 residential — respite places, ten emergency service places and the commissioning of residential services at the Daughters of Charity, Navan Road, Dublin.
It is not clear, however, from this information the proportion of those on waiting lists who require immediate placement and those who, with the provision of improved support services could continue to live an independent life in the community. At present my Department is involved in the establishment of a national database on the needs of persons with a mental handicap. This database will provide information on an ongoing basis, on the number of people with mental handicap in each region, the number in services and awaiting services, their current and future needs and the level of support which is required to meet those needs.
I would like to inform the Deputy that an additional £12.5 million has been made available in 1994 for the further development of services for persons with a mental handicap and their families, which will become part of the on-going annual funding of the service.
Of the £12.5 million I have made available, £2.5 million is to strengthen the funding base of some agencies and to meet some essential service needs; £10 million has been allocated to the health board regions to provide a very broad range of additional services from which the eastern region has been allocated £3.56 million.
Additional services to be provided in the eastern region include: 78 residential places; 230 days care places; 16 respite care places; ten emergency places; further development and expansion of the home support services. The additional residential and day services which will be put in place in 1994 should be adequate to meet the needs of all priority cases on waiting lists.
I have asked the health boards to instruct the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees to ensure that the additional funds are targeted to make the maximum impact on the needs of those wait-listed for services.
Richard Bruton
Question:
152
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Health
the number of workshop places available for children with a disability.
There are a number of options open to children with disabilities leaving school. These include further education, open employment, mainstream training centres, special training centres, community workshops, temporary employment schemes, supported employment and day care. There are no specific workshop places dedicated for children leaving school. Access to places is determined on the basis of a person's vocational needs, usually following assessment by the National Rehabilitation Board — NRB.
In 1993, there were 3,753 European Social Fund — ESF — supported training places for people with disabilities. An NRB survey in 1990 identified 689 non-ESF supported training places and 2,920 sheltered workshop places for people with disabilities.
The Government is making a total of £12.5 million available in 1994 for the development of services for people with mental handicap which will become part of the on-going annual funding of these services. Of this £12.5 million, £2.5 million is to strengthen the funding base of some agencies and to meet essential service needs. Ten million pounds has been allocated to the health board regions for the development of new services. From this, £3.5 million has been provided to enable up to 700 day places for a wide variety of community services to be put in place.
