Vol. 507 No. 4
139 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the proposed closure of seven day residential units (details supplied) in County Wexford under the aegis of the South-Eastern Health Board; the reason for this; and if he will intervene in the negotiations taking place between the community care and special hospital sections to ensure that adequate alternative arrangements or the previous arrangements apply to patients. [17124/99]
The provision of services to persons with a mental handicap in the Wexford region is a matter for the South-Eastern Health Board in the first instance. I have made inquiries with the board and I understand that mental handicap services in Wexford have operated on a 49 week basis over the past 20 years. Closure for a summer period of two weeks and Christmas for one week has been the practice. Residents went home to family and relatives for these periods. In 1997, 12 places were assigned for respite during these holiday periods.
In 1998 it was recognised by the board that residents' needs were changing and requiring a higher level of care, and that their relatives/carers were ageing and finding it difficult to care for them during these holiday periods. The number of places required for respite during the holidays was estimated to be 25. In the summer of 1998 an agreement was reached between staff and management in the three residential units referred to by the Deputy that each would operate on a rotational basis to provide the necessary respite during the holiday breaks. Therefore, in 1998 two of these units remained opened in the summer and Christmas periods and the other unit is to remain open for the summer break this year.
Funding has been made available this year towards the provision of a continuous 52 week service in all three units referred to by the Deputy to meet the increasing needs of residents and by doing so helping to alleviate any hardship experienced by families unable to provide care at home. Discussion on the full implementation of this service is ongoing and I understand that a further meeting in relation to this matter will be held between the board and staff in July.
