More than 300 people with autism and other intellectual disabilities are being accommodated in psychiatric hospitals because there are no proper services for them in the State, it has emerged.
While the numbers have dropped substantially over the last decade, the Government is almost certain to miss its target of ending the practice by 2006.
The figures come at a time when there is debate over the use of a psychiatric approach to the treatment of autism, following a High Court ruling on the future care of 14-year-old Lewis O'Carolan.
The court ruled in favour of plans put forward by the Health Service Executive (HSE) that the boy be cared for and educated at a centre in Dublin which provides treatment and respite for a small number of intellectually disabled young people.
The facility is attached to St Joseph's Intellectual Disability Service, located on the grounds of St Ita's psychiatric hospital in Portrane, Co Dublin.
However, Lewis's parents claim it is based on a psychiatric model rather than intensive education and therapies which, they say, would allow him to reach his full potential. In a statement to The Irish Times, the HSE said all major intellectual disability services in the country employed consultant psychiatrists with a special interest in intellectual disability and multidisciplinary support teams.
"To meet Lewis O'Carolan's specific needs, the Department of Education will fund an appropriately trained tutor and an appropriately trained special needs assistant," the statement said.
However, the head of the centre in Wales which specialises in the treatment of autistic children with behavioural problems has criticised the State's plans for Lewis.
Dr Richard Cubie, the head of operations at the Bangor Centre for Developmental Disability, said the plans were inadequate and poorly planned and questioned whether the programme would meet Lewis's needs.
The O'Carolans had been seeking State funding to send their son to Bangor for treatment. However, the High Court ruled against the move.
Meanwhile, despite Government pledges to end the practice of inappropriately detaining intellectually disabled young people in psychiatric hospitals, some hospitals are continuing to admit a number of intellectually disabled.
The HSE confirmed that a "very small number" of this category of person were admitted on an emergency basis. The majority were discharged following an assessment process.
In reference to St Joseph's Intellectual Disability Service, it said it was a distinct service with its own consultant-led multidisciplinary team that has been separate from the mental health and psychiatric services delivered from St Ita's Hospital for the past 17 years.
It said the intellectual disability team at St Joseph's was staffed by medical and nursing personnel, with both intellectual disability and psychiatric qualifications, who have many years of experience in the intellectual disability services.