Vol. 396 No. 5
3 Mr. Pattison asked the Minister for Health if it is his intention to provide money for St. Michael's House, Dublin 11 to increase its present complement of residential places; the number on the waiting list for admission; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Between 1986 and 1988 the number of places for people with mental handicap in the eastern region was increased by almost 900. It is a matter for the Eastern Health Board central planning committee, which is representative of the various service agencies, including St. Michael's House, to agree on the priorities to be accorded in the distribution of additional moneys for services for the mentally handicapped. Of the £1 million which was recently allocated to the Eastern Health Board area for the development of this service, £235,000 was allocated to St. Michael's House to provide for six additional residential places, 93 day places and additional family support for 46 people. The total additional amount of £1 million which was allocated to a number of service providers in the Eastern Health Board will provide for a minimum of 91 additional residential places, 184 additional day places and a significant number of additional respite cases. These additional services will have a significant impact on the waiting lists for services. The co-ordinating committee are at present identifying the future needs of the service with a view to meeting these in a co-ordinated planned way.
The Minister says he is satisfied with the proposals to increase the number of places in St. Michael's House which will have a significant effect on the waiting list. Does he not accept that the recent case of Samantha Webb was only resolved because of the death of an existing resident and that there are 22 other cases just like Samantha Webb waiting to get into St. Michael's House as a top priority and 90 other urgent cases on the waiting list? Has the Minister discussed these figures with the health board and has he achieved any priority apart from the provision of the half dozen extra places that have been provided? These are some of the crisis cases we have spoken of before.
The Deputy is raising some specific aspects of this matter which I believe have been the subject of consideration in this House in recent times.
The Deputy must not have been listening to the answer. In fact I did not use the term "I was satisfied" because, as Minister, I am never satisfied until the services that are necessary for everybody are in place. I accept that is not the case at present.
The Samantha Webb case was the subject of an Adjournment debate. In reply to the question, I read out that St. Michael's House received £235,000 to provide new services, including six additional residential places.
Does that address the problem?
Whether Samantha Webb got a place because, unfortunately, one of the persons with mental handicap died or because of the almost £250,000 extra which was provided is a moot question. Extra money was provided in the budget for extra places and a place was available for Samantha Webb. I do not know if what the Deputy is saying is correct. All I know is that money was given to St. Michael's House to provide extra places.
How many extra places will be provide in St. Michael's House with the extra fortune they have been given?
It was £250,000 and an extra £2 million was allocated for the mentally handicapped in the budget. There have been developments in the service over the past three years which have included St. Michael's House. It is important to remember that St. Michael's House are not the only providers of services for the mentally handicapped in the Dublin area or the rest of the country. A sum of £130 million is being spent for persons with mental handicap in the current year and of the extra £2 million, £1 million is being spent in the Dublin area and almost £250,000 is going to St. Michael's House.
Deputy Ivan Yates.
The Minister did not answer my question.
I have called another Deputy. Deputy Ferris, please desist. I am concerned about the difficulty in making progress at Question Time today. In the course of 20 minutes we have been able to deal with fewer than three questions. It is not good enough. I expect to make much more progress from now on. Brevity will be the keynote.
We had a very late start — some seven minutes late.
We make allowance for that, too. Progress has been very slow.
Is the Minister aware of a recent statement by the manager of St. Michael's House that it used to be the case that when the parents of an adult mentally handicapped person died they were guaranteed a place, but this is no longer the case? Will the Minister give an assurance that with the allocation of this money every person requiring residential care will be given the explicit guarantee that such a place will be available?
Yes, I will give an explicit guarantee that a place will be available but I will not give a guarantee that a place will be available in St. Michael's House. They are only a part of the service in the Dublin area. In the case of Samantha Webb, the Eastern Health Board had a place available for her when her mother unfortunately died.
In Monasterevin.
She did not have to go to Monasterevin. There was a place for her in Dublin. It was the decision of those looking after her to keep her in the day service in St. Michael's House, that she would go home at night and that she would be kept in respite care on other nights. There was a place available. It would be most unfortunate if parents of mentally handicapped children throughout the country were to feel, because of the way this has been hyped by Members of the Opposition, that when they die those children will not be provided for. They will be provided for.
Question No. 4.
These questions have been raised because parents have been demanding that we raise them.
The parents have been on the streets. There were 2,000 of them in the Mansion House.
I have not received an answer to my question.
Question No. 4 has been called. Resume your seat, please, Deputy.
