Tom Moffatt
Ceist:98 Dr. Moffatt asked the Minister for Health the criteria which determines the allocation by his Department of direct funding to voluntary bodies delivering services to the mentally handicapped. [15020/95]
Written Answers. - Funding for Mental Handicap Bodies.
As is common practice in all public sector budgeting, allocations to both the direct funded mental handicap agencies and the voluntary hospitals evolved incrementally over the years on the basis of the previous year's outturn, approvals to improve or expand services and availability of finance generally.
As the Deputy is aware, in addition to the development of new services, additional funding has been provided by the Government in recent years to assist identified needs in existing services. This funding has been used to assist both direct funded mental handicap agencies and those funded through the health boards by means of section 65 grants. Decisions regarding the allocation of this funding were taken having regard to the information acquired by the Department in the course of its daily contact with both the health boards and voluntary mental handicap agencies.