Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Jul 1992

Vol. 422 No. 1

Written Answers. - Accommodation for Mentally Handicapped.

Nora Owen

Ceist:

70 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that (a) the Eastern Health Board do not have the resources, to improve accommodation for the mentally handicapped people currently housed in St. Ita's Hospital, Portrane, County Dublin; and if he will outline the resources, if any, he intends to make available to rectify the untenable situation that these mentally handicapped people, as well as the excellent staff who take care of them, have to put up with.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Connell)

The Eastern Health Board provides a separate mental handicap service, called St. Joseph's for people with mental handicap on the campus of St. Ita's Hospital.

The Board is of the view that the large institutional buildings on the campus of St. Ita's Hospital are unsuitable to accommodate people with a mental handicap. In 1991 two of the former staff houses on the campus were converted into hostels for clients of the service which facilitated the closure of one of the main institutional units. This year the Eastern Health Board intends to open a further 23 places in three other group homes on the campus. This will facilitate the closure of a further institutional unit. The Board plans to continue this process of transfer from the institutional accommodation. Before any client is transferred, his or her individual needs are assessed, and an individual programme plan agreed. Parents are actively involved in the transfer and the preparation of programme plans. The Board has also embarked on the provision of a comprehensive range of community services in North County Dublin with the initial aim of preventing inappropriate new admissions of people with mental handicap to St. Ita's Hospital.