Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 21 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 4

Written Answers. - Services for Persons with Mental Handicap.

David Stanton

Question:

119 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the capital grants, if any, he has sanctioned to the Southern Health Board for 1999 for the development of services for persons with a mental handicap; the plans, if any, he has to sanction these capital grants in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10378/99]

David Stanton

Question:

120 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children the total capital development grants for mentally handicapped services in 1998 allocated from his Department to the Southern Health Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10379/99]

David Stanton

Question:

121 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will grant aid Cope Foundation in order to provide capital assistance to help cover the cost of the provision of the purpose built premises Fermoy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10380/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 to 121, inclusive, together.

In 1998 I was pleased to be in a position to allocate £1,380,000 in capital grants to the Southern Health Board to support services for persons with a mental handicap. Of this amount, £700,000 was from the national capital programme which I put in place to provide facilities to support the new services which are being developed. I was also in a position at the end of the year to allocate £680,000 to the Southern Health Board region from the £5 million additional capital funding which I made available to assist health boards and voluntary agencies with the replacement of premises or urgent maintenance work; and the refurbishment and up-grading of accommodation for persons with a mental handicap in psychiatric hospitals and other residential facilities.

Capital funding of at least £10 million from the national capital programme will also be made available to support the new service developments in 1999. No capital grants have been sanctioned to date as I am currently finalising the details of this year's programme. I will shortly be in a position to announce the details. The Southern Health Board will, of course, benefit from this funding. It will be a matter for the Southern Health Board, in conjunction with their regional planning committee, to decide on the allocation of this capital funding to specific projects, such as COPE Foundation's development at Fermoy.

Details of 1998 capital grants are as follows:

(a)Capital Development: National Capital Programme, 1998	Grant
	£
Brothers of Charity, North and South Lee:Provision of High Support Residential Group Home	150,000
COPE Foundation, North and South Lee:Riverview Retirement Home for the Elderly	94,700
Charleville and District, North Cork:Development of Therapy Unit	94,700
Co-Action West Cork:Establish Employment Centre in Castletownbere	94,700
Kerry Parents and Friends Association:Listowel Day Care Centre	76,500
St. Mary of the Angels, Beaufort:Establishment of 15 place Day Care Centre for children and adolescents in Caherciveen	94,700
St. John of God, Kerry:Purchase and adaptation of existing premises in Tralee for Employment Support Service	94,700
Total	700,000

(b)Capital Development:Additional Funding, 1998	Grant
L'Arche, Cork:refurbishment and maintenance	30,000
COPE Foundation:refurbishment and maintenance	200,000
Brothers of Charity Services, Cork:refurbishment and maintenance	150,000
St. Mary of the Angels, Beaufort, Kerry:refurbishment and maintenance	150,000
St. Raphaels, Youghal and Grove House:refurbishment and equipment	100,000
Kerry Parents and Friends Association:refurbishment and equipment	25,000
Cork Association for Autism:provision of new sewage treatment system	25,000
Total	680,000