Vol. 488 No. 5
83 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children when a grant will be made available to the Irish Wheelchair Association for the provision of a community centre at their site at Callan Road, Kilkenny, which is part of an overall project to provide living units and a centre at this location supported by the Department of the Environment. [6743/98]
The Irish Wheelchair Association obtained approval and funding from the Department of the Environment for the construction of 14 independent living units and a day centre at Callan Road, Kilkenny. A capital grant of £50,000 has been given by the South-Eastern Health Board for this project.
Further funding for the centre will be considered by the health board in the context of funds available for the development of services. In 1998, £3 million has been provided in the budget for the development of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities and £318,000 of this has been allocated to the South-Eastern Health Board. Priorities for the allocation of this funding is decided by the board in consultation with the local co-ordinating committee for physical and sensory disabilities, on which the Irish Wheelchair Association is represented.
