Cash boost for children’s services in Northern Ireland

Services for vulnerable children in Northern Ireland will
receive a cash boost of over £200 million this year.

Health and social services minister Angela Smith announced an
extra £220 million for this year’s health and social
services budget.

Some of the cash will go towards doing more to safeguard and
protect vulnerable children, and to develop adoption services to
cope with the expected increase in the number of children requiring
adoption in the coming years.

The minister also said that additional resources will be made
available to ensure earlier diagnosis and treatment of autism,
stronger support in the community for people with mental health
problems and learning disabilities and short-term intensive
rehabilitative packages and respite care for older people.

Details of how the extra funding will be allocated have not yet
been announced by the Northern Ireland Executive.