asked the Minister for Health if he will consider as a matter of urgency the creation of assessment centres for the screening of partially and mentally handicapped children generally in the city and county of Dublin; and the number of such centres on the south side of Dublin County.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Treatment of Mentally Handicapped.
2.
Facilities already exist for the assessment of mentally handicapped children in the city and county of Dublin at the special centres for the mentally handicapped in the area. In addition, assessments are carried out at the child psychiatric departments in the children's hospitals and at the child guidance clinics at Orwell Road, Rathgar, and at the Mater Hospital. There are seven assessment centres on the south side of Dublin city and county.
The Minister may not have this information at his disposal but if he has, could he give me the location of these assessment centres which he mentioned?
St. Augustines, Obelisk Park; Dunmore House, Glenageary, County Dublin, Order of St. John of God; Stewart's Hospital, Palmerstown; Prospect House, Goatstown; the Child Guidance Clinic, Rathgar, Order of St. John of God; Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin; National Children's Hospital, Harcourt Street.
Would the Minister, in view of the growth of suburban County Dublin, consider examining the possibility of an assessment area for the Glenageary area of Dún Laoghaire?
There is an assessment centre at Dunmore House, Glenageary, County Dublin.
Might I say that there are not sufficient facilities, nor sufficient room at Dunmore House and would the Minister consider the possibility of giving increased grants towards the cost of providing increased accommodation in the Glenageary area?
I shall examine the matter but there has been tremendous progress in this direction and very good progress is being made. I shall see if further accommodation could be made available.
3.
asked the Minister for Health what proposals are on hand to provide additional accommodation for mentally handicapped adults in specialised institutions in the Dublin area.
The following proposals are on hands for the provision of additional accommodation for mentally handicapped adults in the Dublin area:—
Peamount Hospital, 80 beds; St. Joseph's, Clonsilla, 50 beds; St. Raphael's, Celbridge, 50 beds; St. Ita's Portrane, 50 beds.
In addition, sheltered workshop facilities are being provided at Prospect House, Goatstown, by the Dublin Association of Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped, and at Cherry Orchard Hospital by the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland.