Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Denis Naughten
Ceist:
174
Mr. Naughten
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if his attention has been drawn to the fact that intellectually disabled children are entering residential care at an earlier age and causing an additional financial burden on the State; the plans, if any, he has to introduce additional finance for parents who care for their disabled children in their own home thereby reducing the demand for residential care; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[2804/00]
The policy of my Department is to assist families to continue to care for their family member with an intellectual disability or autism at home for as long as possible. This would particularly apply in the case of young children. A broad range of services are provided by the health boards and specialist voluntary agencies to provide support for both children with intellectual disability and those with autism. These include early intervention, health related support services for children of schoolgoing age, vocational training, day services, residential, respite and home support services.
There is no evidence of an increase in the number of children with intellectual disabilities being admitted to full time residential care. In 1974, 41.6% of all residents were aged 0 to 19 years. By 1996 this had decreased to 10.2%, reflecting the increased emphasis on providing support within their communities for these children. Comparative data in relation to age at the time of admission to residential care is not available.
Significant additional funding has been allocated over the last number of years to enhance and expand the level of services available to persons with intellectual disability and those with autism and their families. However the Government recognised that there was a need to accelerate the pace at which the identified needs of this group were being met and is committed to meeting those needs within a defined timeframe of three years, starting with a major acceleration of investment – both capital and revenue – this year.
The additional revenue funding being allocated in 2000 is designed to support the opening of additional services with an annual cost of £35 million. Because of the timeframe involved in bringing all of the new services planned for 2000 on stream, the actual cost of these services in 2000 will be £28 million. This funding is in addition to the £10.7 million already allocated to the services in 2000 to meet the full year costs of the 1999 developments and identified needs in existing services. This brings the total additional revenue funding provided in 2000 for the services to £38.7 million, increasing to £45.7 million on 1 January 2001.
The additional revenue funding of £35 million will provide, at a minimum: 555 new residential places; 185 new respite places; 700 new day places; health related support services for persons with autism; for the continuation of the programme to transfer persons with an intellectual disability from psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements, and an additional specialist and other support services.
This is the largest single new revenue investment ever made in the services and is further evidence of the Government's commitment to address the needs which have been identified for this population group.
There is also a need for capital investment in the infrastructure required to support these services. Additional capital funding amounting to £80 million is being made available over the next three years to accelerate the process of putting in place the necessary infrastructure to support these services. A total of £30 million will be made available in 2000, £40 million in 2001 and the remaining £10 million in 2002. In accordance with normal practice, a revenue allocation commensurate with the capital investment in the services will also be made over this period.
Around 80 new respite care places were provided for both adults and children with intellectual disability and autism in 1999, with a further 185 due to come on stream by January 2001. Mechanisms have been put in place to manage the emergency admissions to the residential services and this, together with the new residential places which are coming on stream, will facilitate more planned admissions to the services. This in turn will mean that existing respite facilities will also increasingly remain available for respite care and not become blocked by emergency admissions to the residential services.
These developments, together with the provision of appropriate day and other support services will assist families to continue to care for their family member with intellectual disability or autism.
With effect from 1 January 2000 the domiciliary care scheme has been extended to include eligible children under two years of age. The respite care grant, which has been increased to £300, is also being extended to all recipients of the domiciliary care allowance and will be paid in June 2000.
Over the last two years, additional funding has also been specifically targeted to enhance the health related support services for children with autism. Additional funding amounting to around £5 million has been allocated since 1998 to enhance the level of early intervention, respite care and health related support services, including speech and language therapy, occupational and physiotherapy, psychological and social work support for children with autism and their families.
The measures outlined above give concrete evidence of the Government's commitment to assisting persons with intellectual disability, those with autism and their families on an ongoing basis. My Department has no plans to introduce any other additional specific financial assistance for parents of children with intellectual disability at this time.
