Ivor Callely
Question:50 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the Government has failed in its commitment, as contained in section 104 of A Government of Renewal, to eliminate waiting lists. [11723/97]
Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.
I am satisfied that the Government is making steady progress in meeting the commitment in A Government of Renewal.
Additional funding amounting to £12 million has been made available for the further development in 1997 of services to persons with a mental handicap. A sum of £2 million has been used to meet identified needs in existing services. The remaining £10 million is being used to provide new services in 1997.
I recently published an Assessment of Need for Services to Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997-2001, as identified from the National Intellectual Disability Database. The Government is committed, as outlined in Partnership 2000, to continuing to build on the improvements in services for persons with a mental handicap which have been put in place in recent years, within overall resource parameters and based on the needs identified from the database.