MORE than 26,000 people in Ireland suffer from a mental handicap, according to a Government study. But one in 10 of those who need treatment is not receiving adequate care.
The National Intellectual Disability Database has been compiled by the Department of Health and will be published next week.
Preliminary figures show that 3,286 of the 26,694 people identified as mentally handicapped do not require care. But 2,359 of those receiving care need another service or more appropriate care.
On Saturday the Minister for State at the Department of Health, Mr Brian O'Shea, said £12 million would be provided this year to develop services for people in this group.
"This funding is being used to assist identified needs in existing: services and to put in place additional residential, respite and day care places to improve services to persons with autism and to continue the ongoing programme to transfer persons with a mental handicap from inappropriate placements to more appropriate care settings."
A Department spokesman said preliminary figures showed, that 22,804 people were "receiving a service", and 604 people who needed a residential or day care service "currently have no services".
Among the people being cared for, more than 1,250 needed a residential service and were receiving only day care, while 452 had residential care but also needed day care. A small group of 23 persons currently receive only minimal support services and require both a residential and day service.
