Since my appointment as Minister for Health and Children, and despite the many competing demands which are made on the resources available to my Department, I have consistently identified as one of my priorities the provision of additional residential, respite and day services for persons with an intellectual disability.
This year I was pleased to be in a position to provide additional funding of £1.2 million, with a full year cost of £18 million in 2000, for the further development of new services in line with the needs identified in the "Assessment of Need". A sum of £10 million capital funding from the national capital programme has also been allocated to support the development of these new services, while £6 million has been provided to meet identified needs in existing services. This brings the total additional revenue funding provided in 1999 for the services to £18 million, with a full year cost of £24 million in 2000.
I am confident that within the context of the National Development Plan, and the Estimates for 2000 which are currently being finalised, I will be able to maintain and hopefully accelerate the pace of development and expansion of services. I intend to have discussions on this basis with the relevant interest groups involved over the coming weeks.