Vol. 457 No. 4
38 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Health if he will allocate additional funds to the rehabilitation centres Cuan Mhara and Aiséirí, which are doing such outstanding work for people in need of counselling and assistance. [15516/95]
Limerick East): The report on the development of the psychiatric services, Planning For The Future, which was published in 1984 and which has been accepted by successive Governments, recommended that the emphasis on the management of alcohol and other substance misuse should be on community based intervention rather than in-patient treatment. In line with this recommendation, health boards, which are responsible in the first instance for the delivery of mental health services, are developing comprehensive community based addiction treatment services. Residential treatment for the small number of patients with special needs who do not respond to out-patient treatment programmes continues to be available at the boards' psychiatric hospitals.
The Aiséirí and Cuan Mhuire centres are private residential treatment facilities for persons suffering from alcohol and other substance misuse and have already been approved for financial assistance from statutory agencies in 1995.
The provision of support is a matter for the health boards to adjudicate on. They recognise the role played by voluntary or private centres in the treatment of persons with alcohol related problems and are continually considering ways in which the services provided by them might integrate with health board services. The priority for the boards, however, must be the continued development of community based services and any consideration of support for voluntary or private treatment facilities must be viewed in the light of this priority.
