Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Jan 2000

Vol. 513 No. 1

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

372 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the serious needs of people with learning disabilities or who are mentally handicapped and on waiting lists for treatment or care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1285/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen):

Since my appointment as Minister for Health and Children, the ongoing development of services to persons with an intellectual disability has been a priority for me. In this regard, I have allocated substantial additional funding towards the development of these services, totalling £53 million up to the end of 1999. While this funding has made a significant impact on the development of services, I am aware that waiting lists in this area have continued to grow. The Government is committed to clearing this backlog over the next three years, starting with a major acceleration of investment, both capital and revenue, in 2000.

The additional revenue funding being allocated in 2000 is designed to support the development of additional services with an annual cost of £35 million. Given the timeframe involved in bringing all of the new services planned for 2000 on stream, the cost of these services in 2000 will be £28 million. This funding is in addition to the £10.7 million already allocated to the services in 2000 to meet the full year costs of the 1999 developments and identified needs in existing services. This brings the total additional revenue funding provided in 2000 for the services to £38.7 million, rising to £45.7 million on 1 January 2001.

The additional revenue funding will provide 555 new residential places; 185 new respite places; 700 new day places; health related support services for persons with autism; the continuation of the programme to transfer persons with an intellectual disability from psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements; and additional specialist and other support services. There is also a need for capital investment in the infrastructure required to support these services. One of my first actions on taking office was to put in place a dedicated national capital programme, to provide an initial capital investment of £30 million for the period 1998-2001, with a further allocation of £5 million in 1998 for a maintenance and refurbishment programme for existing services.

The national development plan now provides a new framework within which unprecedented capital investment will be made in the health services in the period from 2000-06. In the area of intellectual disability services, this investment will focus on three main areas: the provision of new facilities from which a broad range of support services, including residential, respite and day services, can be delivered; the renovation of existing facilities and the continuation of the programme to transfer persons with an intellectual disability from inappropriate placements. Additional capital funding of £30 million will be made available in 2000, £40 million in 2001 and £10 million in 2002. This is a total of £80 million over the next three years, to support these developments.

This additional funding brings the total revenue and capital funding provided by me to date for these services to £121.7 million in 2000, with a full year cost of £128.7 million in 2001. This underlines the Government's commitment to meeting the needs of persons with an intellectual disability and I wish to assure you that this will remain one of my top priorities.