Michael Ring
Ceist:112 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide and staff an adequate number of high support and secure units for children with severe difficulties. [31234/01]
Written Answers. - Child Care Services.
Since mid-1997 over £92 million, 116.82 million, additional revenue funding has been invested through the health boards in the development of the child welfare protection and family support services.
Capital investment of approximately £30 million – 38.09 million – is being made available by this Government through the health boards to put in place additional high support and special care places to provide for a small group of children who need more intensive intervention. The number of high support and special care places has increased from 17 in 1996 to a current total of 88. Included in this figure is the 24 place purpose built special care unit at Ballydowd in the eastern region which is being opened on a phased basis and the seven place special care unit for girls in Cork.
An additional 46 places are planned as follows: in the eastern region a high support facility providing 24 places at Portrane is nearing completion; the Midland Health Board, North-Eastern Health Board, North-Western Health Board and the Western Health Board are co-operating to provide 12 high support places on a single campus in Castleblayney; the Mid-Western Health Board will be providing an additional five high support places and five special care places for adolescent boys. Places in these facilities are due to become available by mid-2002.
While health boards have experienced some difficulties in recruiting suitably trained staff progress has been made in this area through recruitment abroad and the expansion of training courses. As the Deputy will be aware a new career and pay structure for child care workers was introduced earlier this year. This aims to ensure that more people are attracted into child care and to ensure that child care workers are trained to an appropriate level.
Recruitment and retention of staff for high sup port and special care units is also being looked at by the special residential services board which will advise and improve the co-ordination of special residential services for children convicted by the courts and for non-offending children in need of special care and protection.