Disability organisation devastated by Budget

NAMHI, an organisation representing those with intellectual disabilities is criticising the Budget's ability to cater for their needs.

It says over 1,711 people in Ireland with such disabilities are in need of residential care - 862 require a day service, over 1,000 need occassional respite care.

A further 462 people with intellectual disabilites are without any such services and almost five hundred are living in psychiatric hospitals.

Dierdre Carroll, General Secretary said: "None of these people will be funded for new places in the year 2003 following this Budget.

"We asked for 400 new residential places, 400 new day places and 200 respite places to be funded for next year and we were prepared for some cutbacks but we are devastated by the news."