asked the Minister for Health if he has satisfied himself with present conditions for mentally handicapped patients in St. Ita's Hospital, Portrane, County Dublin.

I am not satisfied with some of the accommodation at present occupied by mentally handicapped patients at St. Ita's Hospital. The health board intend to replace the worst features of the accommodation as soon as alternative accommodation becomes available. A considerable amount of funds has been spent on improvement works at the hospital in recent years and it will be my intention to continue to allocate funds for this purpose in so far as the total resources available to me will permit.

Is the Minister aware that of the 492 mentally handicapped patients at St. Ita's Hospital only 190 are receiving specific therapy for mental handicap and that there are only ten nurses providing that therapy? This is an appalling situation which I agree has been so for a number of years. I have been pleading for the demolition of the temporary huts since 1972. They are still there and people are crowded like cattle into these wooden huts which were erected as temporary huts in 1892. This is a matter of urgency and I plead with the Minister to do something about it.

In relation to the huts, two of them have been removed. They were built in 1890.

I was two years out.

Two of the original six huts built in 1890 were closed down last year. The 67 mentally handicapped patients were dispersed throughout the various wards in the main hospital. The 119 patients in the remaining four huts will eventually be moved out over the next few years. It had been hoped to evacuate the patients from the huts last year but the new 72-bed unit which was originally intended for mentally handicapped patients is being used for psycho-geriatric patients and is likely to continue to be used for that purpose for the foreseeable future.

When does the Minister think it will be used for the purpose for which it was built?

The health board hope currently to phase out the huts over the next few years by removing the patients to converted staff houses in the grounds of the hospital. A small number may be transferred to leased premises at other centres.

Will there be new units provided for mentally handicapped in the foreseeable future?

At that centre?

Yes.

A number of major schemes have been approved in recent years. The total cost of these schools came to £3.377 million. Some of these have been completed, in others there is a major updating of the block for male chronic patients, the first phase of which is completed. There are a number of others due to be completed, such as a major upgrading of blocks 5 and 6 of the female wards, planning for which is in progress at the moment. It will cost around £500,000.

Certain further schemes are proposed by the health board and there are a number of urgent works which have been recommended by the board. We will certainly proceed with these as quickly as possible in accordance with the resources that are available.