Vol. 493 No. 2
141 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children when the additional money allocated to the Mid-Western Health Board for services to the mentally handicapped will come on stream in 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15521/98]
The Mid-Western Health Board region received a total of £1.455 million additional revenue funding this year for the improvement of services for persons with a mental handicap, which includes £0.5 million for the provision of new residential-respite and day care places. This funding has been included in the Mid-Western Health Board's determination of health expenditure for 1998 which was notified to the board on 3 December 1997. The additional places which are to be provided this year were agreed by the regional co-ordinating committee, which is responsible for identifying the precise services to be put in place and the individuals who will benefit from these services in line with the priority needs of the region. These additional services have either been put in place already or are coming on stream. The Mid-Western Health Board will be making arrangements to transfer funding for these services to the relevant voluntary mental handicap agencies.
