Around 500 people with a disability have declined to return questionnaires to the Mid Western Health Board, and a further 800 more remain unidentified as people with disabilities, according to figures issued yesterday.With an estimated population of 340,000 in the mid-west region, about 3,300 - or 10 per cent of the population - are conservatively estimated to have a disability.
But only 2,000 applications have been completed and returned to the health board so far. "We are left wondering what has happened to the remaining 800 or so," said Ms Lily Heuston, data administrator with the health board.
The initiative is another way of lobbying the Government for more funding for people with disabilities, according to Ms Toni Gleeson, regional membership support officer with the Disability Federation of Ireland.
She believes those who have opted out of the service have done so for a variety of reasons. "A number of people have not been receiving treatment from the health board," she said, despite having a disability, "and do not see themselves in need of a health service."
Others might have a certain degree of scepticism about the benefits of services offered because of dissatisfaction in the past.
"There is also some suspicion, as some people are afraid to let go of personal data," Ms Gleeson added, despite the fact that this information was protected under the Data Protection Act and could not legally be divulged.
She said it was in people's own interests to register their names and details and "challenge the authorities for adequate service provision".
Ms Patricia McCarthy, the board's director of disability, said she was not hugely concerned about the figures, however, as the database was a compilation of figures which would be reviewed again next year.
"There are people who may see the increased value of the database as they begin to trust the service more, and numbers should rise," she said.
A national anti-poverty strategy conducted earlier this year noted that very few targets had been set for people with disabilities because not much data was available. The disability database scheme was introduced in March to yield accurate information on the specialised needs of people.
The Department of Health and Children has provided €4.57 million since 1999 to develop disability services in the mid-west region. Under the strategy, participation in third-level education by students with a disability is set to increase to 1.8 per cent by 2006, while other services like home support and increased therapy services are also being provided.