I wish to share my time with my constituency colleague, Deputy Kitt.
Adjournment Debate. - Mental Handicap Services.
I am sure that is satisfactory and agreed.
Last week I attended a large public meeting in Ballinasloe convened by the Ballinasloe parents' group in connection with the lack of facilities for the mentally handicapped in the Ballinasloe-east Galway and south Roscommon areas. The meeting was attended principally by parents of children with mental and physical handicap. It was an intense, open, direct, hard-hitting and above all, sincere meeting. Parents young and old, who care for handicapped sons or daughters poured out their stories of difficulties, frustrations, concerns and bitter disappointment with the powers that let them down in their hour of need. Nobody was spared the scathing attacks on how insensitive officialdom can be when dealing with the special children of the greater Ballinasloe area. This is not a political matter. Politicians of every colour were starkly reminded of their responsibilities and their inability to deliver a proper service.
The twin providers of services to mentally handicapped in the Ballinasloe area, the Brothers of Charity and the Galway Association for Mentally Handicapped were both represented by their chief executives and while they were deservedly praised and thanked for their contribution so far, they were left in no doubt that their efforts did not meet the needs of those at the meeting.
Mothers of handicapped children gave heart-breaking accounts of the lack of a crisis relief centre in unforeseen circumstances — one case involved a 17 year old mentally handicapped youth who had to be admitted to St. Bridget's psychiatic hospital due to the non-availability of a crisis relief service in the area. A mental hospital is no place for such a youth.
We were told that there were no respite beds in Ballinasloe. Some of the children and their families never receive respite care and if they do they have to travel to Aras Attracta in Swinford, County Mayo. As the Minister is aware, that is a long way from Ballinasloe, and if parents do not have a car they could not go there.
A great bone of contention at the meeting was that there was no progression to second level education for follow on service for students from either St. Teresa's CDEC or St. Hilda's school in Athlone. There is a huge problem with places at workshops at many levels. In fact at the Deerpark centre in Ballinasloe, young adults are receiving only a part-time service because of insufficient staffing levels. The necessity to provide a far greater number of speech therapists was highlighted as was the crying need for the provision of remedial teachers at local national schools.
The most lasting impression I took away from that meeting was the anxiety expressed by parents concerning the future welfare of their beloved handicapped sons and daughters when God calls the parents from this world. The solution involves expense and great investment is required. The funding allocated to the service is welcome, but is not enough. Is it possible to provide funding on a planned basis in the future rather than on a stop-go basis, with a certain amount provided this year, less next year and more the following year? That does not allow for reasonable planning and development. Taxpayers would shoulder a greater share of the financial burden in the provision of services to the mentally handicapped, but they must see a concerted effort by the Government to develop strategies that will, among other things, attract European Union funding. We owe it to those special children and their parents to do all we can for them. I hope the position will improve.
I thank Deputy Connaughton for sharing his time with me. The Brothers of Charity, the Galway Association for Mentally Handicapped and, in particular, the Western Health Board have done an excellent job in providing services in counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. The Ballinasloe-east Galway and the south Roscommon areas are bereft of services. That is why we raised the matter in the House and why such a large number of people attended a public meeting in Ballinasloe on 18 October.
The need for a crisis relief centre and residential services in the Ballinasloe area is obvious. The case of the 17 year old child, to which Deputy Connaughton referred, was highlighted at that meeting. That child was admitted to a psychiatric hospital at a time when the health board was removing 25 people with mental handicap from the hospital to community based accommodation. We should be consistent in what we do and provide such services in the community.
It was confirmed by the two voluntary organisations that plans were submitted to the Department for the provision of a relief centre and residential beds in the Ballinasloe-east Galway area and I hope the Minister will give them favourable consideration. The Ballinasloe Parents' Association has worked hard in an effort to have those services provided in the area. However, the speech therapy service for example has been reduced from five to three days per week. Also, the local schools to which parents wish to send their children do not have the necessary remedial or resource teachers. Resource teachers, in particular, could provide services for mentally handicapped children.
I hope the Minister and the Department will give favourable consideration to this matter. As it involves the Departments of Health and Education, I hope both Ministers will meet a deputation of parents from the Ballinasloe area.
While I acknowledge Deputy Connaughton's point that this is not a party political matter, I must correct him in regard to one matter. Since this Government took office the increase in funding for mentally handicapped services has been greater than at any other time. The Deputy referred to stop-go funding which was stopped until the Government took office and is now going again. I acknowledge Deputy Connaughton's suggestion about European funding and will pass it on to the Minister. I will also pass on Deputy Kitt's request for a meeting with a deputation from the Ballinasloe area. I know the Deputies were not exaggerating when they referred to the intensity and emotion of the meeting in Ballinasloe last week. I attended many similar meetings in Limerick, one in the last three weeks.
The provision of services for persons with a mental handicap in the Ballinasloe-east Galway area is a matter for the Western Health Board in the first instance.
Service developments in the region are agreed by the Regional Mental Handicap Co-ordinating Committee within the guidelines issued by my Department and approved by the Minister. The Regional Mental Handicap Co-ordinating Committee comprises representatives from the Western Health Board, the Western Care Association, Galway County Association, Brothers of Charity and three parent representatives, including one from the Ballinasloe area.
As the Deputy is aware an additional £12.5 million was made available for the development of mental handicap services in 1994 which will become part of their on-going annual funding. Substantial capital is also being provided for the development of training centres for persons with a disability. From this the western region was allocated a total of £200,000 to enable the Western Care Association and the Galway County Association upgrade and renovate training facilities.
Of the £12.5 million available, £2.5 million was used to strengthen the funding base of some agencies and to meet some essential service needs. Agencies which benefited from this included the Brothers of Charity services, the Western Care Association and the Galway County Association.
A total of £10 million was allocated to the health board regions to provide a broad range of additional services from which the Western Health Board region was allocated £1.018 million. The following additional services are being put in place in the region in 1994: 40 residential and one respite place; 18 day care places; and home support services for up to 72 people. Funding was also provided for the transfer of 25 persons with mental handicap from St. Bridget's Hospital, Ballinasloe, to more appropriate accommodation in the mental handicap services.
At the specific request of the regional co-ordinating committee the Minister agreed a mix of services which focused on additional residential and respite places as opposed to day services. Additional residential and respite places were identified as a priority to enable service providers, particularly in the Galway area, to free up respite and crisis intervention places which had become blocked by persons for whom a residential place had become essential.
In regard to special educational provision for persons with mild mental handicap in the Ballinasloe-East Galway area, I understand from my colleague, the Minister for Education, that two special classes have been established and are attached to Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Creagh, Ballinasloe. This provision is meeting the identified need in that area at present.
Provision is made for children with moderate mental handicap in a special class in Portumna boys' national school. Furthermore, children of second level age from the Ballinasloe area are catered for in St. Hilda's special school, Athlone, and the Department of Education pays the cost of transporting the pupils to this school.
The Department of Education provides grant-aid for instructors in vocational training centres for moderately mentally handicapped young adults. Such centres are established by the health boards or voluntary agencies. One such centre which provides for the area referred to by the Deputy is St. Hilda's Vocational Training Centre, Athlone. The Department of Education provides funding for three instructors in this centre.
I understand that the Department of Education is not aware that the level of special educational need in the Ballinasloe-East Galway area at present is such as to require the provision of additional special educational facilities for children with mental handicap. However, my colleague, the Minister for Education, has arranged for her Department's inspectorate to investigate the special educational needs of the area and consider whether further special provision is required.
The Minister for Education, of course would be prepared to consider any detailed proposals in this regard the Deputy may wish to submit.
Deputy Michael Kitt requested specifically that a deputation be arranged to meet the Ministers for Health and Education. I will communicate with both Ministers tomorrow and with both Deputies thereafter.