Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 29 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 2

Written Answers. - Autism Services.

Michael D. Higgins

Ceist:

73 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the serious shortage of services for persons with autism; and if he will outline the proposals, if any, he has for dealing with this matter. [2203/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The majority of persons with autism avail of the generic mental handicap services, including assessment and diagnostic services, day, residential, respite and home support services, which have been substantially enhanced in recent years.

A minority of persons with autism do require specialised facilities. Additional specific services for persons with autism have been provided in the Eastern, North-Eastern, Southern and Western Health Boards which now provide between 128 and 130 residential places overall. Planning for the development of further specialist facilities as outlined in my Department's policy document on services for persons with autism, which was published in 1994, is being included by the health boards in their overall consideration of the needs of persons with a mental hndicap and autism in their regions. Additional funding amounting to £225,000 in 1994, £300,000 in 1995 and £500,000 in 1997 was made available for the development of services specifically for persons with autism in line with my Department's policy document.

I was pleased to be able to allocate additional funding of £16 million in 1998 for services for persons with a mental handicap and autism. This includes £7 million which was announced in the budget for the development of new residential, respite and day care places and £3.75 million in the Estimates to meet identified needs in existing services. Capital funding of £5.25 million is also being provided in 1998 to begin the implementation of a £30 million capital programme which I have put in place to run over four years in tandem with the service developments identified in An Assessment of Need for Services for Persons with a Mental Handicap 1997-2001. The assessment provides a comprehensive picture of the requirements for additional residential and day services for persons with a mental handicap, including those with autism, over the period concerned.

Details of the precise services to be put in place in each health board region are agreed by the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees in line with the priority needs which have been identified for each region.

The Government is committed to the ongoing development of these services as outlined in An Action Programme for the Millennium.