asked the Minister for Health if, in view of health cutbacks, patients are being sent home from Stewart's Hospital for two months during the summer period.
Written Answers. - Stewart's Hospital (Dublin) Patients.
72.
It is a normal feature of mental handicap residences, including Stewart's Hospital, that some residents are taken home for a while during the summer and other holiday periods. This has the double benefit of maintaining close contact between the mentally handicapped persons and their parents and relatives and also facilitating staff in taking their holidays without the need to incur additional expenditure on temporary staff.
This year Stewart's Hospital are encouraging the relatives of all residents to try to take them home on holidays for a period during July and August. As a result, it is expected that more residents will have family holidays this year than in previous years. There are, however, some residents whose circumstances are not suited to a family holiday and they will remain in the hospital.