Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 1997

Vol. 478 No. 7

Written Answers - Mental Handicap Services.

Máirín Quill

Question:

60 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Health the steps, if any, he proposes to take to tackle the waiting lists of persons with mental handicap for residential and day care places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11984/97]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. O'Shea)

I recently published an Assessment of Need for Services to Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997 to 2001 as identified from the National Intellectual Disability Database.

Some 604 persons currently have no services and require either a residential, including day services, or a day service only. Another 1,280 persons who receive a day service also require a residental service and 452 persons who receive a residental services also require a day service. A further 23 persons currently receive only minimal support services and require both a residential and day care service.

These figures translate into a requirement for 1,439 new residential/respite places and 1,036 new day places over the next five years. It is estimated that the cost of providing these services would be in the region of £63.5 million over the period. Additional funding of £12 million has been made available in 1997 to begin the process of meeting these needs.

The Government is committed, as outlined in Partnership 2000 for Inclusion, Employment and Competitiveness to continue 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 in the Assessment of Need.