Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 1

Written Answers. - Autism Services.

John Gormley

Question:

601 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children the additional resources, if any, he intends to make available in the current fiscal year for the provision of services for sufferers who live with the condition of autism. [1976/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

The majority of persons with autism avail of the generic mental handicap services, including assessment and diagnostic services, day, residential, respite and home support services, which have been substantially enhanced in recent years.

A minority of persons with autism require specialised facilities. Additional specific services for persons with autism have been provided in the Eastern, North Eastern, Southern and Western Health Boards which now provide between 128 and 130 residential places overall. Planning for the development of further specialist facilities as outlined in my Department's Policy Document on Services to Persons with Autism, which was published in 1994, is being included by the health boards in their overall consideration of the needs of persons with a mental handicap and autism in their regions. Additional funding amounting to £225,000 in 1994, £300,000 in 1995 and £500,000 in 1997 was made available for the development of services specifically for persons with autism in line with my Department's policy document.

I was pleased to be in a position to provide £16 million for services to persons with a mental handicap and autism in 1998. This includes additional revenue funding of £7 million and capital funding of £5.25 million in 1998 to continue the process of delivering on the Government's commitment to provide additional services in line with the needs outlined in "An Assessment of Need for Services to Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997-2001". £3.75 million was also provided in the Estimates to strengthen the existing services.

Details of the precise services to be put in place in each health board region are agreed by the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees in line with the priority needs which have been identified for each region. A programme of new building is essential for the delivery of the services required to meet the needs which have been identified in the Assessment of Need. I am, therefore, putting in place a £30 million capital programme for mental handicap and autism services to run over four years in tandem with the Assessment of Need, beginning this year with the capital allocation of £5.25 million which I have already mentioned.