Brian Cowen
Question:19 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of the reasons for his refusal to meet the National Association of Mental Handicap in Ireland. [12109/97]
Written Answers - Mental Handicap Services.
Limerick East): When the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland requested a meeting with me last year, the association was informed that as I was already committed to a very heavy schedule of Government and departmental business over the subsequent weeks and months, I was not in a position to meet them. I was, however, made aware that it was open to them to approach my colleague, Minister O'Shea, who has responsibility for this area within my Department, regarding a meeting. Minister O'Shea had previously met with representatives of the association.
This Government is the first to assign specific responsibility to a Minister of State for services to persons with a mental handicap. This is an indication of the priority which was given by the Government when we took up office and which continues to be given, to the provision of services to persons with a mental handicap and their families.
Since my appointment as Minister for Health, I have visited services and facilities for persons with a mental handicap and have met families and their spokespersons around the country. I also addressed the 1995 annual general meeting of NAMHI. I am very aware of the issues which are of concern to them, and in particular, the need for the further development of services.
Minister O'Shea recently published an Assessment of Need for Services to Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997-2001 based on information from the national intellectual disability database. The Government provided additional funding of £12 million in 1997 to begin the process of meeting the needs identified in that assessment.