I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Environment and Local Government, Deputy Dan Wallace. Earlier, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, paid me the courtesy of informing me that he could not be present for this debate.
I request that the Government provide funding of a capital and current nature so that the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God can provide the services it is seeking to provide to people with learning disabilities, those already in its care and those on waiting lists. Despite the funding provided by successive Governments, the situation continues to deteriorate.
There are now more people waiting for residential, day care and respite services than there were between 12 months to three years ago. We are losing the battle in an area of absolute necessity in terms of the requirement to provide medical care and services. It is scandalous that this situation is beginning to deteriorate out of hand. I refer specifically to the service provided by the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, representatives of which have informed me that they are almost in despair with regard to how they will meet the demand for services.
The order has proposed a reasonable programme for 1999. I wrote to the Minister in October following which I received an acknowledgement but no commitment. On 11 January last I was present with the Taoiseach at the opening of a playground centre when I was again approached by representatives of the order which led me to raise this matter on the Adjournment. The order proposes to extend its existing residential and day care services, which currently cater for 430 people, to cater for an additional 200 people. That is its priority for 1999.
The order informed me that at present the Eastern Health Board has in excess of 680 people in need of residential placement in 1999 but that the additional allocation by the Government will only fund 50 places. The situation is somewhat similar in respect of day service places where in excess of 300 people are in need of day care services but the allocation will provide funding for only 66 places. The situation is drastic and the waiting lists are growing rather than decreasing.
I will not go into detail because the Department is fully aware of the situation. Essentially, we are discussing providing capital and revenue funding for day services, respite services, and community respite services for fewer than 200 people. We are also discussing the 60 people waiting for residential placement, in respect of whom there is a proposal to build three group homes.
The proposal has been with the Minister for a considerable period and the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God is extremely anxious that a decision will be expedited and that a commitment will be given to provide funding. In total, £1.5 million in current and capital funding would provide services for approximately 200 people. Those services are badly needed. In recent weeks the Minister referred to the budgets he has given to individual hospitals and the accountability and transparency he employs. I do not believe there is any area where money could be better spent than in the provision of services to people with learning disabilities. There is no organisation that is more transparent and accountable than the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God. I would be delighted if the Minister of State responded in a positive fashion.
