Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State said in his opening statement that there was a difference between what was predictable and what was avoidable, but surely predictability should help avoidability. This time last year Deputy Billy Kelleher predicted that January would be a crisis point in hospitals and, as he almost always is, he was correct. We knew that this would happen and that there should have been a better plan in place, with some simple moves such as making the flu injection available free to everyone or having a better public awareness campaign to highlight the advantages of having it.

I cannot sit in front of the Minister this morning without bringing up the case of Bandon district hospital. As the Minister is aware the issue is before the Labour Court today. This issue has been going on for a long time. I hope that underneath it all, a cost saving exercise is not under way as this issue has persisted for too long. This morning, 13 beds lay idle in Bandon district hospital, which is known locally as the cottage hospital. It is a term of endearment. The care given in the hospital, which the Minister visited himself, is exceptional. More serious than the beds lying idle is the fact that no respite has been available for nearly a year. If it all comes together and it opens, there will be four weekly respite beds. There is a huge need for that. The people of Bandon have been without respite beds for their loved ones for nearly one year. Many of them have reached crisis point with their own mental health because they need a break and the person who is being cared for probably needs a break. I cannot stress enough the seriousness of this situation. If there is no resolution today, the Minister should step in. I stress how important this is to the people of Bandon.

On waiting lists coming down, I have a submitted a parliamentary question and I do not expect the Minister to comment on an individual case. One of my constituents has Muckle-Wells syndrome. He attends a consultant every year and last month he was told that nothing more could be done and he was off the consultant's list. This man maintains that he needs monitoring and having googled the syndrome I agree, although mine is a non-medical view. He was told that another patient has taken his place. If this is the way lists are being reduced, then it is not fair. This may be something that could be looked into.

I welcome the fact that GP visit cards will be available for carers. They are our unsung heroes. It is not just a monetary thing; it is an acknowledgement of the wonderful work they do. Will the Minister indicate if he has a more definite date for when this measure will come in? Will the Minister outline what is being done to make it more appealing for positions in rural GP practices to be filled?

On the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities some weeks ago the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, said it would be a few weeks. This time last year he told me it would be a few months, before that he told me it would be the end of 2016. Does the Minister of State have a definite date and what is happening in this regard? As the Minister of State is aware, under the Disability Act 2005 the assessment of need provision says that a person is assessed within three months of application and the assessment finishes within another three months. The Minister of State is aware that children are waiting years, not months, for this assessment. This is preventing early intervention. It will have long-term effects on children who are waiting. Is the Minister of State doing anything to speed up that process?

I also wish to ask the Minister of State about respite for those who are over the age of 18. I am aware that his office has been inundated with requests. Are there any plans in place for respite for people who turn 18? They go from getting a small amount of respite to hardly any. What are the plans in this regard?

I have a query for the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly - who is my constituency colleague. We were told about a year ago that 750 mental health services positions were approved between 2015 and 2016. I acknowledge this was before the Minister of State's time but the latest figures we received indicate that 667 positions were approved during that time. This means there are 83 positions that seem to have disappeared. I stress that hardly any of these positions were filled but they were approved. Where did the positions disappear to? Are they not now approved or what is happening?