Vol. 480 No. 6
289 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health and Children when he proposes to further increase the funding available to a hospital (details supplied) in County Kildare and similar institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14813/97]
In addition to the development of new services, resources have been provided in recent years by my Department to meet identified needs in existing mental handicap services. As part of this ongoing process officials from my Department recently had discussions with the agency which is the subject of the Deputy's inquiry with a view to identifying the priority needs within that service. The question of the provision of additional funding to begin to meet the needs identified by this process will then be considered in the light of the resources which may be made available to my Department in 1998.
Some £ 10 million additional funding was made available to the mental handicap agencies this year for the development of day and residential services to persons with a mental handicap. Some £ 2.475 million of this was allocated to mental handicap agencies in the Eastern Health Board region, including the agency referred to by the Deputy. I am aware that since this allocation was provided there have been a number of emergency admissions to the services which have placed an additional financial burden on them. In order to minimise the impact of these emergency admissions on existing services, I provided an additional grant of £ 350,000 to assist the Eastern Health Board and the relevant mental handicap agencies with the provision of additional placements, including the agency referred to by the Deputy.
The Assessment of Need for Services for Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997-2001, based on information from the National Intellectual Disability Database, provides information on the current and future needs of persons with a mental handicap. The Government is committed to the ongoing development of services to persons with a mental handicap and, as outlined in the Government's An Action Programme for the Millennium, particular emphasis will be put on the provision of adequate residential and respite services for those with a mental handicap. As I have already explained, I am not yet in a position to comment on the level of funding which may be available for any particular services in 1998.
