asked the Minister for Health if he will outline actions and policies being pursued at present or to be pursued in the near future by his Department to alleviate or deal with any aspect of the difficulties confronting the socially and economically disadvantaged area of the inner city of Dublin, north of the River Liffey; and if he will give details of the proposed timetable in respect of any such initiative, and the amounts of moneys, including grants, subsidies or other resources which arise in this regard.
Written Answers. - Dublin Inner City.
675.
My Department and the health agencies for which it is responsible are most concerned about alleviating and dealing generally with the particular social and economic disadvantages of the inner city of Dublin north of the River Liffey.
However, the following specific undertakings are under way, designed to improve the delivery of health care in the area and to meet ascertained needs for particular services.
1. The Eastern Health Board has made a further £100,000 available in the current year towards the cost of extending the day nursery for pre-school children at Mountjoy Square to cater for an extra 25 children. The board has also increased its allocation to the Family Resource Centre at North William Street to £100,000 in 1983 to enable it to continue to provide support services for families in need in the local community.
2. A project team representative of my Department and the Children's Hospital, Temple Street, has been considering the development of that hospital with particular emphasis on the development of out-patient and casualty facilities. A planning brief for these facilities has now been completed and will be forwarded to me shortly for approval. The cost of the initial development is estimated at £2.5 million and would probably require a further two years of planning before construction could commence.
3. Approval issued on the 27 April last to the payment of a grant of £20,000 to the Eastern Health Board to enable Jervis Street Drug Advisory and Treatment Centre to establish a service for drug abusers in the north city centre area. The Talbot Day Centre in Sherrard Street has in fact commenced providing services there last month.