A Chathaoirligh, thank you for affording me the opportunity of raising the provision of a workshop for mentally handicapped adults in west Clare. I know the Minister is familiar with this issue because he received a deputation last November from the association for the handicapped who hoped the Mid-Western Health Board would provide capital to commence the building of the centre in Kilrush. The Brothers of Charity have bought a site and full planning permission has been secured for a workshop on that site to accommodate 50 mentally handicapped adults.
West Clare is 27 miles west of Ennis and there is a real demand in the west Clare area for this workshop. The association for the handicapped in west Clare have raised almost £70,000 and they were assured by the Mid-Western Health Board that if they did a certain amount of fund-raising and showed a level of sincerity and commitment to the project, they would be fully supported by the Mid-Western Health Board.
Since then a development has taken place which concerns me. The Mid-Western Health Board told the association they cannot provide capital for new projects. They can provide money to refurbish an existing premises which is being leased but, under the rules, they cannot provide capital for a new building on a green site. This is extremely worrying. This association and the Brothers of Charity have done a lot of work in securing the site, fund-raising and promoting their case.
The case being pressed here is for the most disadvantaged in our community, the mentally handicapped. You can appreciate as a parent, a Chathaoirligh, the concern and worry of the parents of these handicapped adults. There are many handicapped adults and others in special schools in Ennis. There are now about 90 people in the special schools in Ennis who will be able to avail of the facilities of this workshop. As parents advance in years their concern and worries increase when they think about the future of their handicapped children.
I come here this evening to put to the Minister the importance of making capital available, through either the Department of Health or by the Minister providing capital to the health board, to provide this centre for the handicapped in Kilrush. The case has been well put; the health board and the Minister are familiar with the details. It is unfortunate that a bureaucratic detail — money can be provided to refurbish a leased premises but not to provide a premises on a green field site — is calling into question the provision of the money. I urge the Minister to resolve this matter immediately and to do what was promised by the health board, that is, provide the capital for the provision of the centre.
The association has done the fund-raising they were required to do by the health board. It is now up to the health board and the Department to respond in a positive fashion. I hope no more bureaucratic arguments will be presented to these unfortunate handicapped people and to their parents who are so concerned about the provision of the centre. I hope the Minister will be able to give good news this evening.
