Vol. 485 No. 1
77 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of respite beds available in the Eastern Health Board for people with a mental handicap; the size of the client population who may have occasion to seek respite care; his views on the adequacy of respite provision and the erosion of available respite places by the continuing pressure of demand for long-term residential care. [22504/97]
Respite care is provided both on a planned and an emergency basis by almost all residential care service providers in the Eastern Health Board region. Respite care is provided in a number of ways. It is estimated that there is approximately 100 to 150 designated respite beds in the Eastern Health Board region. In some cases it is provided in a residential setting, which may be in places specifically designated as respite, or alternatively through the use at weekends of places vacated by people who are in receipt of five day residential services. It is also provided by host families through the various Share a Break schemes. The home support services can also provide shorter respite breaks for carers. There are in excess of 750 people availing of respite care and there is no doubting the value of this to both recipients and their carers.
Funding provided to the Eastern Health Board in 1997 towards emergency placements, which was over and above funding provided for the development of additional day and residential-respite places, did in many cases, allow for the freeing up of respite places and up to 20 extra respite beds became available.
It is my intention to continue to expand respite care for persons with a mental handicap in order to improve the service available so that individuals can continue to live in the community for as long as is possible before being placed in residential care. I am pleased to say that I am providing additional funding of £16 million for services to persons with a mental handicap in 1998. This includes additional revenue funding of £7 million, as announced in the recent budget, for the provision of new residential-respite and day places and £3.75 million, provided for in the Estimates, to strengthen the existing services. Sustained capital investment is needed to support these developments.
I recently announced the establishment of a £30 million capital programme to develop the mental handicap services including day, residential and respite places for persons who have been assessed as in need of such places. As part of this programme £5.25 million capital funding is being provided in 1998.
