People with disabilities and their families are to benefit substantially from the Budget allocations for health services. Across the full range of disabilities, £122 million extra will be spent next year, mainly on buildings and pay.
Health services in general are to get an additional £195 million, bringing total projected spending for 2001 to £5,299 million. Details of how this will be spent will be announced by the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, this morning.
The Budget also includes an extra £9 million for foster care. The way this will be spent will be outlined today by the Minister of State for Children, Ms Mary Hanafin.
The National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland welcomed the provisions, saying money for services for people with intellectual disabilities "will be spent on urgently needed new residential and respite places, both areas where there are still long waiting-lists".
The Rehab Group praised the allocation for people with disabilities, saying it followed substantial extra funding last year. But it also said it was anxious to see details of how this funding would be translated into services.
The Minister said that funding to health boards would include an amount "ring-fenced" to enable people with disabilities to employ personal assistants. In all, about 230 people will be able to employ 312 personal assistants as a result. The funding will be increased from £2.5 million next year to £6 million in 2002. The mobility allowance will be doubled to £90 a month, he said, and the six months' wait for the domiciliary care allowance will be abolished.
The overall figure includes £83 million for people with intellectual disabilities and £39 million for people with physical and sensory disabilities, the Minister said. These will increase to £100 million and £66 million respectively in 2002.
The decision not to increase tobacco prices was condemned by Ash Ireland, which said 6,500 people a year die from smoking.
The extra health spending also includes £9 million for nursing home subventions; £14 million in community supports for older people; £1.5 million for the breast-screening/treatment programme and £13.5 million (£24.5 million in a full year) for hospital cancer services.