Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Jul 1996

Vol. 468 No. 4

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Mary Wallace

Question:

232 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Health the number of people with disabilities receiving day and residential care in each county and each health board area; the number of persons waiting for these services; and the plans, if any, he has for meeting this shortfall. [15899/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The information requested by the Deputy on services for people with physical disabilities is not readily available in my Department. I will ask the health boards to put together this information in so far as it is available to them and I will forward it to the Department in due course. As the Deputy will be aware there is no database on physical disability. I understand that the forthcoming report of the review group on physical and sensory disability will recommend the establishment of such a database.

The review group is examining all aspects of service provision for people with physical or sensory disabilities. This will include examination of the existing provision of services and identification of unmet needs across all health board areas. It is my intention, following publication of the report, to ask health boards to prepare local plans for implementing the report based on a total assessment of needs across the services in their areas.

In relation to services for persons with a mental handicap, this information is being compiled as part of the five-year plan for the development of services which I will be announcing later this year. At that time I will also be launching the mental handicap database which will provide the type of information requested by the Deputy.