asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the provision of a hospital on the north side of Dublin to cater for retarded and backward children.

There are already three residential centres for mentally handicapped children on the north side of Dublin. On 11th November last I gave details of the plans for the provision of about 1,500 places in the special residential centres—for children and adults. There is no provision for an additional centre in north Dublin. The residential services for the mentally handicapped are not organised on a county basis and the special residential centres accept children from all areas.

When does the Minister hope to have these plans for the 1,500 additional places?

I answered a question on that the other day. The number of places will be provided over a period from this year to 1974 or 1975 and then all the 1,500 places will have been provided.