Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Swanick asked me to apologise on his behalf for not being here. A family relation has died and he is attending the funeral. I acknowledge letters received from Erica Boucher and her mother about what Cuisle has meant to them and the heartbreak they are suffering over its proposed closure. They are full of compliments for the staff. The Minister of State, Deputy McGrath, made a statement on Monday, 18 November indicating that the main reason behind the decision to move away from Cuisle is that there has been a significant drop-off in numbers seeking to avail of respite in the facility in recent times and the preference of people has been for hotels, as has been facilitated in Kilkenny.

There have been substantial price increases in Cuisle. In 2015, a person with high-dependency needs paid €175 per night for full board and care. In 2019, this increased to €220 in mid-season, representing a 26% increase. It rose to €230 in peak season, representing an increase of 31%. Even during the low season, when there is a lot of unused capacity, the price rose from €175 to €200, a 14% increase.

There has been a major reduction in funding to provide respite breaks. For example, the Dublin and mid-Leinster budget decreased from €150,000 to €60,000 in recent years. There has been a reduction in staffing resources in Cuisle, limiting the number of people who can access the service. Currently, there is one nurse with a 19.5-hour contact and another who can work two weeks out of four and who has a 12-hour contract. Numerous people have allegedly been told by the IWA that they could not visit the centre this year as a result of the staffing issues.

The number on the carers' roster in Cuisle has reduced from 30 in 2017 to 18 at present. Duty manager positions have reduced from three 39-hour positions in 2016 to one 39-hour position and one 20-hour position in 2019.

I have one question. Mr. Cunningham may correct me if I am wrong. He addressed Roscommon County Council last Monday at a meeting hosted by the chairman, Councillor Paschal Fitzmaurice, and he answered many questions.