Vol. 510 No. 5
165 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children the degree to which the funding needs of St. Raphael's, Celbridge, County Kildare, have been met in 1999; the proposals, if any, he has to enhance the funding available to this institution in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23100/99]
Additional revenue funding amounting to £3.635 million in 1999, with a full year cost of £4.610 million in 2000 was allocated to the Eastern Health Board in 1999 for the development of services to persons with an intellectual disability. Capital funding amounting to £4.15 million, of which £3.3 million was to support the new developments was also allocated to the board in 1999.
A sum of £150,000 was allocated to St. Raphael's in respect of the provision of residential services. Funding was also allocated to the agency to provide three full-time emergency residential places and seven short-term crisis places. Capital finding amounting to £150,000 was also allocated to the agency in question.
With reference to the issues related to needs within existing services, these issues are being discussed with the order as part of the process to transfer responsibility for the remaining directly funded voluntary intellectual disability agencies to the Eastern Health Board in 2000. I am currently pursuing funding to continue to address identified needs in existing services as part of the 2000 budgetary process and as such am not yet in a position to comment on specific funding allocations.
