asked the Minister for Health if there are any proposals before his Department for the erection of a hostel to house mildly mentally retarded children from County Galway from Mondays to Fridays of each week, adjacent to the schools for such children in Galway city.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Galway Mentally Handicapped Children.
39.
There is no proposal before my Department for the provision in Galway of hostel accommodation for mildly handicapped children. Proposals have been submitted by the Galway Association for Mentally Handicapped Children for the provision of hostel accommodation for moderately handicapped children at the special day-school in Galway city. Certain queries were raised by my Department on this proposal, mainly in regard to the fire standards of the proposed structure and responsibility for its operation. Representatives of the Association visited my Department last month and said they hoped that a religious order would run the service and also that they were thinking in terms of a permanent building rather than a prefabricated structure as had earlier been proposed. The Association's representatives were requested to submit their revised proposals for consideration and this submission is at present being awaited.
40.
asked the Minister for Health if there are any proposals in his Department for the accommodation of severely mentally handicapped children in County Galway other than accommodation in mental hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Proposals for residential accommodation are not dealt with on a county or area basis, and children from all areas are normally eligible for admission to any of the special centres in which treatment suitable to their condition is available.
The Commission of Inquiry on Mental Handicap estimated that 1,000 beds would be required to meet the need for residential accommodation in respect of severely mentally handicapped children from all areas. At the end of 1967 there were 625 such children in residential accommodation and existing proposals will provide accommodation for some further 470 children. In addition, accommodation being provided for adult mentally handicapped persons should release further accommodation for children so that I do not anticipate that on the basis of current proposals the requirements of the severely mentally handicapped children as estimated by the Commission will fail to be met.