8 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make the necessary funds available to COPE Foundation in Cork who cater for 1,500 people with a mental handicap, so that they can overcome their £½ million shortfall in funding.
I am aware that the COPE Foundation incurred a deficit on their operational budget in 1990 and that this deficit is expected to increase this year. Departmental officials will be meeting with representatives of the COPE Foundation who have incurred a deficit to discuss their financial situation. I will communicate with the Deputy on the outcome of the meeting.
I would ask the Minister to make an immediate allocation to COPE who are one of the prime voluntary organisations in the country doing a job that the Department should be doing. Is the Minister aware that mentally handicapped children aged five, six and seven years are being abandoned at home without any developmental training due to a lack of resources? Organisations such as COPE are at their wits end trying to deal with the serious problem throughout the country.
I am aware of the excellent work of and contribution made by the COPE Foundation. I would point out to the Deputy that since 1986, for example, allocations to voluntary agencies funded by the Department have increased very substantially, from £58 million in 1986 to £81 million in 1981, an increase of 40 per cent. With regard to the COPE allocation, in the period 1986-91 the increase was 33.2 per cent, from £4.295 million in 1986 to £5.71 million in 1991. As I have said, a meeting will take place later this month with representatives of COPE and I will communicate with the Deputy on the outcome of that meeting.
Would the Minister not agree that the problem with COPE and with many other voluntary organisations stems from the fact that the Government are willing to provide only £1 million this year for additional mentally handicapped services whereas the report commissioned by the Minister recommended that £6 million be provided? Would he not agree that the problems arise due to a lack of finance?
We are dealing now with the COPE Foundation and nothing more.
As I have said, over the last five years there has been an increase of 40 per cent in the allocation to voluntary agencies. I have already outlined the increase to COPE which is 33.2 per cent, a significant increase over that number of years. As I have said, we will be meeting with representatives from COPE later this month and I hope that meeting will prove fruitful.
Will the Minister give a guarantee that all young children of the ages I have mentioned will find a place in a training institution such as COPE and that no children will be abandoned at home through lack of resources?
We are having an extension of this subject matter.
No children will be abandoned in their homes. As I have already pointed out, COPE are doing an excellent job in this area. Their funding is being considered in the light of the meeting that will be held later this month, but there is no question of children being abandoned at home.
