Vol. 488 No. 7
220 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of residential and respite places provided by his Department for people with disabilities in 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7008/98]
The report of the Review Group on Health and Personal Social Services for People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities, Towards an Independent Future, which was published in December 1996, sets out the requirements for the development of services, including the development of day services, residential and respite care services for people with a physical and sensory disability.
An additional £8.4 million has been provided for these services in 1998. Of this £2.4 million is for the elimination of underfunding of existing services, £3 million is for capital projects and £3 million is for the development of services. Priorities for the allocation of the £3 million development funding will be decided by the health boards following consultation with the local co-ordinating committees. The provision of additional respite and residential places will be considered in this context.
A sum of £16 million additional revenue and capital funding was made available in 1998 for services to persons with a mental handicap 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, and to strengthen existing services. A sum of £5.25 million capital funding has been provided as part of a £30 million capital programme for mental handicap services to run over four years in tandem with the assessment of need. Details of the precise services to be put in place in each health board region are being agreed by the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees.
As not all health board regions have submitted their plans for service developments for people with disabilities to my Department in respect of 1998 I am not in a position at present to indicate the number of places which will be made available this year.
