Vol. 509 No. 6
309 Mr. Higgins (Dublin West) asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will set aside £40 million in 2000 to deal with the needs of 1,673 people with a mental handicap who need residential places and 952 people who require day services. [21167/99]
337 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of people with a mental handicap on waiting lists for various services in 1999; the degree to which it is intended to reduce the waiting list in these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21275/99]
348 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to provide additional funding for residential places and day services for people with a mental handicap; if his attention has been drawn to the increasing waiting list for these places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21387/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 309, 337 and 348 together.
Statistical information on the number of people with an intellectual disability in Ireland is provided by the National Intellectual Disability Database. The first report of the database was published in 1996, at which time the total number of people on the database was 26,664.
The preliminary 1998 data has identified an increase of 1,346 persons, from 26,664 in 1996 to 28,040, in the overall number of persons on the database. The data also indicates an increase in the numbers of persons who have been identified as requiring residential and-or day services. Some 2,530 persons in total will require a major element of service over the next five years. This represents an increase of 171 persons over similar data in 1996.
The number of additional places required over the period in question, 1999 to 2003, to meet these needs are 1,673 residential places and 952 day places. When the additional placements coming on stream in 1999 have been taken into account, there is a balance of approximately 1,353 residential and 752 day places to be provided.
Additional revenue funding of £12 million in 1999, with a full year cost of £18 million in 2000, was provided for these services. This funding is in addition to the £6 million already allocated to the services in 1999 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.
While the additional services which have been put in place have made a significant difference, their impact on the waiting lists has been reduced because of the numbers of emergency admissions which have been and continue to be made to the residential services.
In allocating the additional funding provided for new services last year, I asked health boards to begin to put in place measures to enable them to manage emergency cases. The boards were requested to develop these measures even further this year. Most health boards have now set aside funding to assist with the cost of emergency admissions.
