The Minister for Health has moved to alleviate the pressure on services for people with disabilities by reallocating €50 million in emergency funding to the area.
Mr Martin said the resources would be split, with €20 million going on services and €30 million allocated to capital projects. The funding is coming from the existing health budget for the year.
He said a number of capital projects outside the disabilities area had not moved as quickly as had been hoped so €30 million for these projects was being reallocated to providing infrastructure for disabled persons.
The funding announced today is expected to provide 175 emergency residential places for disabled persons who can no longer be cared for at home, due, for example, to the death of a primary carer in the family.
This sector received an additional €13.3 million this year but inflation and other cost rises adsorbed the majority of this sum.
More than 600 day places for intellectually disabled persons who have recently left school will also be provided, according to the Minister. The additional places will be offered almost immediately, with Mr Martin hopeful that all the new places will be on offer by September.
Mr Martin said service providers for disabled persons had assured him that they could offer services for the extra places announced today.
The Government has been criticised by Opposition parties and disability groups for the growing number of emergency cases.
Last month the umbrella group for the intellectually disabled - the National Association of the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland - said it was facing increasing emergency cases coupled with a chronic lack of appropriate residential services.
The additional funding for services will be maintained with an anticipated full year cost of €30 million.
