Vol. 523 No. 2
152 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to a recent criticism by the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped in Ireland which claims that the Northern Area Health Board was admitting people, who do not need psychiatric help, to unsuitable accommodation in St. Ita's Psychiatric Hospital, Portrane, County Dublin, due to lack of accommodation for persons with mental handicap. [19470/00]
It has been the policy of my Department for some fifteen years that persons with an intellectual disability should not be admitted to a psychiatric hospital unless they have an underlying psychiatric disorder which cannot be treated elsewhere. The Deputy should be aware that St. Joseph's service, while located on the campus of St. Ita's Hospital, is a specific service providing a range of day and residential services for persons with an intellectual disability.
Many persons with an intellectual disability were admitted to inappropriate facilities such as psychiatric hospitals in the past due to a lack of suitable services. My Department is currently engaged in a major capital programme which has, as one of its main objectives, the transfer of such persons to more appropriate services. In this regard, £13 million is being made available for the development of new and refurbished facilities for persons with an intellectual disability currently accommodated in St. Ita's Hospital. This plan is being jointly funded by the Eastern Regional Health Authority and my Department. As part of this project new residential and day services have been completed in Oldtown, County Dublin and are currently being commissioned. This new facility will provide accommodation for 30 persons from the St. Ita's campus.
