Vol. 413 No. 5
153 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been drawn to the appalling plight of a sizeable number of Cork parents of handicapped children who are prevented from placing their children in proper education due to lack of funding for the institutions of the Cope Foundation; and if she will outline her proposals to tackle and solve this problem.
I am aware that there is a need to develop additional day services for children with severe or profound mental handicap in the Southern Health Board region. This need has been taken account of in the development plan for mental handicap services agreed recently by service providing agencies in the southern region.
This plan will be formally presented to my Department in the near future. It will be implemented in line with the funds made available to me for the development of mental handicap services.
Because of the Deputy's interest in the matter I will keep in touch with her on this case.
