Vol. 557 No. 6
42 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if his attention has been drawn to the massive crisis in the disability sector of the health service, with 1,711 people needing full-time residential service; and his plans regarding these waiting lists. [22793/02]
Additional funding was provided by this and the previous Government between 2000 and 2002 to put in place, in addition to a range of other services, over 900 new residential and around 2,100 new day places for people with an intellectual disability and those with autism. In April 2000 infor mation from the national intellectual disability database indicated that in the period 2000 to 2004, 1,711 new residential places were required to meet the identified needs for these services. My Department is reviewing on an ongoing basis the position in relation to the implementation of this development programme with the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards. Information from the national intellectual disability database in relation to the level of service provision and identified need as of 30 May 2001 is currently being finalised. The initial indications from the 2001 data are that, while the impact of the 2000 development programme is reflected in the data, there is still a significant number of persons seeking residential services in particular. Further information in respect of service provision and identified need as of 30 May 2002 will be available early in 2003.
Demographic factors are contributing to growing waiting lists for residential services, although the numbers of people receiving full-time residential services continue to increase. A baby boom in the 1960s has resulted in large numbers of adults in their late twenties and early thirties requiring full-time residential services. In addition, people with an intellectual disability are living longer than previously and are using services for several more years than previous generations. This has also been the international experience in service provision to this population.
A review of the waiting lists between 1997 and 1999, conducted by the Health Research Board and published in the 1999 annual report from the national intellectual disability database, showed that while 269 people from the original waiting list of 1,439 received full-time residential services in the period, the waiting list had grown by an additional 238 places, that is, 507 had joined the waiting list in the period.
The national monitoring committee, which is representative of my Department, the Health Research Board, the chief executives of the health boards, the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, the National Parents and Siblings Alliance and the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland, NAMHI, is also involved in the monitoring of this programme. I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to fulfilling the commitment which it gave in relation to meeting the needs of this population group, as outlined in the programme for Government.
