Vol. 430 No. 5
184 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health if he will provide the finance towards the running costs of a full-time service for respite care for children with mental handicap; if he will accede to the request in this regard made to him by the County Tipperary Association for Mentally Handicapped Children; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I would like to inform the Deputy that additional respite care facilities for people with mental handicap, including children, were provided in the South Eastern Health Board area, and in particular in South Tipperary, as part of the developments in services for people with mental handicap which were put in place in 1992.
Of the additional £8.5 million made available in 1993 for the development of services for people with mental handicap, £4 million has been allocated to the health board regions from which £586,000 has been allocated to the South Eastern region. This is in addition to the £850,000 made available last year which has been repeated in 1993.
The guidelines issued to the South Eastern region proposed that particular emphasis should be placed on residential and day places (including respite care), home support services and emergency services. Specifically it was indicated that 8 residential/respite places, 50 day care places and additional home support and early intervention services be put in place in 1993. The precise services to be provided in the South Eastern region have been agreed by the Regional Mental Handicap Coordinating Committee, on which the County Tipperary Association is represented and are now being examined in my Department. As a result, I am not yet in a position to inform the Deputy of the additional respite facilities which may be put in place in the South Tipperary area.
