asked the Minister for Health the number and the name of each residential and day centre catering for the mentally handicapped in this country; and the number of child and adult mentally handicapped in each institution.

There are 43 residential centres and 27 day centres. Details of them and of the numbers of child mentally handicapped, that is those under 16 years of age, and adult mentally handicapped, that is those over 16 years of age, in each area are set out in a tabular statement which I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

I Special Residential Centres for the Mentally Handicapped

In addition to the above there was a total of 27 hostels catering for 121 children (under 16 years) and 104 adults (over 16 years) on 31st December, 1975. There were also 2,504 mentally handicapped persons in residence in psychiatric hospitals operated by health boards and 642 in geriatric homes.

II Day Centres for the Mentally Handicapped

Would the Parliamentary Secretary tell the House how many people are involved? Surely the tabular statement is not so complicated that he cannot tell us the total?

The Deputy will appreciate how many people are involved entirely. Account must be taken of those who are in residential care at the moment and who are over 16 years as well as those under 16 years of age.

Yes, the child mentally handicapped and the adult mentally handicapped.

The tabular statement contains five pages——

I did not realise that it contained five pages. I appreciate the obvious trouble the Parliamentary Secretary took in this matter and I look forward to reading the information given by him.

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