Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 6

Written Answers - Mental Handicap Services.

Ulick Burke

Question:

208 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide funding, directly or otherwise, to the Western Health Board for the needs of the mentally handicapped people in Ballinasloe, County Galway; if he will restore the £122,000 taken from the 1998 allocation to the Western Health Board for the completion of an existing project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4906/98]

Denis Naughten

Question:

219 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give a commitment of funding in future budgets to the Western Health Board in order to develop a plan presented to him by Ballinasloe Advocates for the Mentally Handicapped. [4977/98]

Denis Naughten

Question:

220 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give an increased allocation of funding to the Western Health Board in view of a letter (details supplied) received by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4978/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 219 and 220 together.

The provision of services to persons with a mental handicap in the Ballinasloe area, County Galway is a matter in the first instance for the Western Health Board. Recently I approved an allocation of £742,000 to the Western Health Board region for the provision of a new residential/respite and day care places in 1998. A further £270,000 has also been allocated in 1998 to the Western Health Board region to meet identified needs in existing services of which £150,000 was allocated in respect of increased staffing levels at Áras Attracta, Swinford, County Mayo.

The Western Health Board region, including the Galway area, will also benefit from the £30 million capital programme for mental handicap services which I have put in place to run over four years in tandem with the Assessment of Need for Services for Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997-2001.

Details of the precise services to be put in place in the Western Health Board region and the individuals who will benefit from these services have been agreed by the Regional Mental Handicap Co-ordinating Committee in line with the priority needs which were identified for the region. Proposals for the expenditure of this additional funding, as agreed by the regional co-ordinating committee, have now been submitted to my Department and are being examined. One of the proposals is an allocation of £122,000 for the development of services for clients with a mental handicap and challenging behaviour at Áras Attracta. The question of restoring this amount to the Western Health Board does not arise.

I recently met with the Ballinasloe Advocate for the Mentally Handicapped to discuss their local needs. These needs are incorporated in the Western Health Board's five year plan for the development of services in the region. The proposals for new developments in 1998 submitted by the Western Health Board included provision for new residential places in Ballinasloe.

No further revenue funding can be made available to the Western Health Board region this year. The need to develop services for clients with challenging behaviour at Áras Attracta was taken into account in allocating the overall amount of additional funding to the Western Health Board region in 1998. While my Department recognises the need to further develop services at Áras Attracta, any allocation for this purpose from the 1998 additional development funding was solely a matter for decision by the Western Health Board Regional Co-Ordinating Committee, and was not the subject of any instruction from my Department.

As outlined in both Partnership 2000 for Inclusion, Employment and Competitiveness and An Action Plan for the Millennium, the Government is committed to the ongoing development of services to persons with a mental handicap in line with the needs outlined in the Assessment of Needs. I am not however in a position to comment on the overall level of revenue funding which may be available for any particular service in future years.