I am asking that direct funding be provided by the Department of Health for the Sacred Heart Day Unit for Mentally Handicapped Children at Lady Lane, Waterford. To visit the Sacred Heart Unit is one of the most heart rendering experiences imaginable. The unit is run by a remarkable lady, Sister Imelda, who is assisted by a wonderful staff, 12 of whom are full-time and nine part time. The nine part-time workers are on a FÁS training course.
The most apt way of describing Sister Imelda is to say that she compares somewhat with Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She devotes all her time and energies to the care and wellbeing of these young children. There are 45 children in the unit and their ages are from 4 to 16. They attend the day care centre for five days of the week. These children vary from moderately to severely handicapped. I think the Minister will appreciate from that the amount of effort and love necessary to cater for their needs. The children are ferried to and from the unit by a team of volunteer drivers. Recently the director, Sister Imelda, was told to cut back on numbers by the South Eastern Health Board in an obvious attempt to reduce costs. This centre has a waiting list of 26 children and is desperately short of cash. At present there is a bank debt of £30,000 and it would be much higher but for the trojan efforts of the voluntary fund raisers who help the centre.
Waterford city have a well deserved reputation for being very charitable in needy cases and they have constantly raised money for this unit. Every day the problems in relation to finance facilities and accommodation become more difficult. Apart from fund raising, the unit is assisted financially by the South Eastern Health Board who have their own financial difficulties. The board have done their best in very difficult circumstances but their best is not good enough and that is why I am asking the Minister for Health to assist the unit directly. In one of his initial interviews the Minister made the point that his priority was to assist the mentally handicapped and he could not come across a more deserving case than this one.
Sister Imelda and her staff should not have the additional worry of insufficient financing. Their work is extremely demanding and they operate in a building constructed in 1974 which needs to be extended if not totally replaced. The unit should be financed entirely from central funds. I understand that the Minister will visit Waterford shortly and I hope he will visit the Sacred Heart unit to see their magnificent work — and plight — at first hand. I hope he will see fit to assist them as they deserve.
In reply to a Dáil question on the matter last week, the Minister indicated that some extra moneys will be available from the South Eastern Health Board. I understand that the sum in respect of 1991 is £6,500. However, I understand that an extra £850,000 will be available for all mentally handicapped people in the south-west region and I hope that a substantial amount of those moneys will be made available. However, direct funding is the ultimate solution so that all the children in need of assistance can be catered for in satisfactory surroundings.
