Vol. 496 No. 7
165 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the degree, scale and quality of the services provided at St. Raphael's, Celbridge, County Kildare; if his attention has further been drawn to the need for extra funding for this institution; if he will respond favourably to these requests before the end of 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24151/98]
The 1998 allocation to the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God for services to persons with a mental handicap included additional funding of £250,000 specifically for service issues relating to the changing profile of existing clients in St. Raphael's, Celbridge. Additional revenue funding of £432,500 was provided to the Order's services in the Eastern region in respect of ten new day places and six new residential places. This includes funding of £81,000 provided to meet the full year cost of additional services put in place in St. Raphael's in 1997. £600,000 of the £3 million additional funding provided to the Eastern Health Board region for service developments in 1998 was set aside to assist in the management of any emergency cases which occurred during the year. I understand from the Eastern Health Board that £36,482 of this funding was also allocated to St Raphael's in Celbridge.
Details of the precise services to be put in place in the Eastern Health Board region and the individuals who will benefit from these services are agreed by the central mental handicap planning committee, which includes representation from the Hospitaller Order of St John of God.
I am not yet in a position to comment on the overall level of funding which may be available for any particular service in 1999.
