Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:
221
Ms Fitzgerald
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the budget allocated from 1997 to 2000 for the creation of residential places for disturbed adolescents; the progress to date in this regard; the location of these places; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[25208/00]
Health boards have increased the number of high support and special care places available for children in need of special care or protection from 17 in 1996 to a current total of 74.
The places located in each health board/ authority area are as follows:
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Eastern Regional Health Authority
|
22*
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Midland Health Board
|
2
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Mid-Western Health Board
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10
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North-Eastern Health Board
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5
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North-Western Health Board
|
–
|
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South-Eastern Health Board
|
20
|
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Southern Health Board
|
15
|
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Western Health Board
|
–
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Total
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74
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*Includes eight places in the new special care unit in Ballydowd which is being opened on a phased basis.
In addition, a number of special arrangements have been made available by health boards for individual children and this will continue to be a feature of the boards' responses to the needs of troubled children.
Plans are under way to develop an additional 74 places nationally as follows. In the Eastern Regional Health Authority area, the balance of the 16 places in the Ballydowd special care unit will be opened over the next few months; also the construction of a high support facility providing 24 places at Portrane has commenced. It is anticipated that this unit will be ready by autumn 2001. The Midland Heath Board, the North Eastern Heath Board, the North Western Heath Board and the Western Heath Board are co-operating to provide 12 high support places on a single campus.
Places being developed in the other boards are as follows. Ten high support places and a special care facility with five places for adolescent boys in the Mid-Western Heath Board. Five high support places for boys in the Southern Heath Board. These places are due to become available by the end of 2001. In addition, two high support places will be opened on a phased basis in the North Eastern Health Board over the next few months.
As mentioned above, special arrangements for individual children will continue to be provided and this will bring the total number of places available to about 160.
Since 1997 approximately £13 million ongoing revenue funding has been made available to the health boards for the development of the high support and special care service which includes the provision of special arrangements for individual children.
The total capital cost of the development programme is in the region of £30 million.
The Deputy will be aware that I announced earlier this year the establishment of the interim body on special residential services for children convicted of committing offences and children who have behavioural problems and are in need of special care and protection. This body provides advice to the Ministers for Health and Children and Education and Science on co-ordinating the delivery of services and on the development and provision of educational and other programmes in health board special care facilities and in those facilities run by, or under the aegis of, the Department of Education and Science for offending children. The special residential services board provided for in Part 11 of the Children Bill, 1999, which is currently before the House, will take over the interim body's responsibilities when the Bill becomes law.
This Bill contains a number of important measures for non-offending children who are in need of special care or protection. These include Part 3 of the Bill which empowers health boards to apply to the courts for special care orders to detain non-offending children in need of special care or protection and Part 2 which introduces the family welfare conference on a statutory basis for the first time.
