Vol. 503 No. 3
340 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Health and Children where the 320 new residential places and 80 new respite places will be located; the time scale for the provision of the places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9720/99]
I assume the Deputy is referring to the new residential, respite and day places which are being provided this year for persons with a mental handicap. Additional revenue funding of £12 million is being provided in 1999, with a full year cost of £18 million in 2000, for new services. In addition to the new residential, respite and day services, this funding will also enable the health related support services for children with autism to be enhanced, the programme to transfer persons with a mental handicap from psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements to be continued and additional specialist and other support services to be provided. This funding is in addition to the £6 million already allocated to the services in 1999 to meet identified needs in existing services.
The eight regional health boards were notified of the additional funding for new services in their determination of health expenditure for 1999 which issued from my Department in December, 1998. The details of the precise services to be put place in the health board regions are a matter for the regional mental handicap co-ordinating committees in line with the priority needs which have been identified for the health board regions.
Many of the new services have already been put in place by the boards and the mental handicap agencies. Other new places will come on stream over the coming months as the necessary preparatory work such as the recruitment of appropriate staff or the refurbishment or the development of new facilities is completed. In the case of some day services, for example those for school leavers, these will come on stream with effect from September.
My Department has requested that the boards forward details of the new places, including their location, to my Department upon their finalisation and I will let the Deputy have this information as soon as it is available.
