I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity to raise this important issue on the Adjournment.
There is no need for me to emphasise the importance of the scale and quality of the services provided by the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God at St. Raphael's, Celbridge, County Kildare, and those provided at a number of similar institutions, such as Islandbridge, throughout the country. There is no need to enumerate the various efforts invested in the provision of those services. I refer here to the efforts made on a voluntary basis by the parents and friends of St. Raphael's, the local community and the management and staff of St. Raphael's to put in place a service that is more urgently required with the passage of time. Everyone recognises that and, in fact, Her Excellency, the President of Ireland, and the Taoiseach both visited St. Raphael's in the past year in recognition of the efforts made there. Imagine, therefore, the disappointment, surprise and hurt on the part of those involved at St. Raphael's when it recently transpired that its budget for the current year has been reduced, in effective terms, to the extent of approximately €2.9 million.
We have lived with the Celtic tiger economy for the past number of years. We are informed that we have one of the most successful economies in the western hemisphere and that Ireland is one of the 20 wealthiest nations in the world. In my opinion the management, staff, parents and the children and adults involved at St. Raphael's would not be surprised if its allocation for the current year was made commensurate with the economic factors to which I refer. However, that is not the case. It is sad and disappointing that St. Raphael's budget has been reduced at this point.
It is also sad that it appears that a great deal of effort has been put into providing services in various areas to meet the demands of various competing interests. What demand is greater than that of those who are not in a position to fight their own cause? What demand is greater than that of those who are assisting that cause on a voluntary basis? What need is greater than that of the children at St. Raphael's, Islandbridge and the other institutions which are obliged to depend on outside resources and the goodwill of fundraisers who operate on a voluntary basis? These people ultimately rely on the health services – the Department of Health and Children, the Minister and the relevant health board – to provide them with the necessary resources to carry out their work.
Essentially, the authorities at St. Raphael's will be obliged to consider curtailing existing services and not proceeding with proposed new services. The combination of these two will reduce the value and quality of the necessary services, either those in existence or those that are proposed. A letter was sent to the chief executive of the Eastern Regional Health Authority pointing out that there was a shortfall of approximately €2.9 million in the 2002 budget which, effectively, is a reduction of 5.6%. There are four factors involved. There is a shortfall in the amounts provided for some approved pay awards. In other words, a pay award was approved but no provision was made for it. No amounts have been provided for some pay awards, particularly those for psychologists, despite all we have heard in the House about the urgent need for psychologists in schools and institutions. Certain costs incurred in 2001 on an ongoing basis have been treated as once-off costs only and no provision has been made in the 2002 allocation for these costs. Specific pressures on the non-pay budget, for example, insurance, energy and VAT increases, have not been recognised. There is no need for me to outline that the matters of insurance, energy and VAT are fundamental when taken into account in terms of the operation of the services at St. Raphael's. Insurance costs have become an increased burden in recent times. Notwithstanding the reply that has been prepared for the Minister of State, I ask him to implore the Minister for Health and Children to put in place the necessary resources to enable St. Raphael's to continue to provide existing services and to enhance, as was originally envisaged for the current year, what it has to offer by providing new services.
