Vol. 485 No. 3
203 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if the £4 million additional funding to mental handicap services in 1997 was for revenue or capital purposes in relation to the table (details attached) which he published on 10 December 1997; the subheads of his Department's Vote under which the additional funding was provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23398/97]
204 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the amount of the additional funding to mental handicap services in 1998, for revenue and capital purposes in relation to the table (details supplied) which he published on 10 December 1997; the various subhead or other resources for this £16 million; the amounts involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23399/97]
210 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide details of the total number of residential and day places which he will fund for the mentally handicapped in 1998; and the average cost of each place in both cases. [23416/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 203, 204 and 210 together.
In response to the Deputy's query, the £4 million additional funding allocated to the mental handicap services in 1997 by this Government was capital funding and is provided through the Department's subhead I1. Additional funding of £16 million is being provided for services to persons with a mental handicap in 1998. This includes additional revenue funding of £7 million for the provision of new residential-respite and day places and £3.75 million to strengthen the existing services. Sustained capital investment is needed to support these developments. I recently announced the establishment of a £30 million capital programme to be provided over the next four years to develop the mental handicap services including day, residential and respite places for persons who have been assessed as in need of such places. As part of this programme £5.25 million capital funding is being provided in 1998. The additional revenue funding for 1998 will be provided through subheads B1 and B4 and the capital funding through subhead I1.
The cost of providing residential and day places for persons with a mental handicap may vary significantly from case to case. A range of estimated costs for each service is required to take account of the level of staffing required by the different levels of handicap. Persons with a mental handicap who also display challenging behaviour require a high staffing ratio and this represents a higher cost. The average costs in 1997 were £18,000 in respect of new residential places and £8,000 in respect of new day places. The health boards and the mental handicap agencies are currently discussing the precise services to be put in place in 1998 with the additional funding which has been provided to them and I expect to have their proposals by early in the new year.
