Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am aware of this case.

The important thing to say is that emergency residential places constitute a very important issue in the debate on the service plan. As I said earlier, there will be a significant increase in resources over the €2 billion figure regarding the HSE service plan. I want to personalise this in one way because I agree with Deputy O'Connell that the important thing is to focus on the families and the person with a disability. In 2020, we plan to have 8,358 residential places. We have 33,700 day respite sessions, 166,00 respite overnights and 23,000 day places so these are the kind of plans that are in place. One goes back to the core question. Every year, we have a number of people in those situations. I am pushing very strongly for the extra money and resources. I have been talking to the Minister - even over the past few days. The Minister gets it. He is very supportive of me. Do we need more residential places for people in critical need who have no family? That is the phrase I am using. The answer is "Yes". I hope to see some of those new residential places come into play in the next couple of weeks. That is my view at the moment but I do accept that when we are having a debate about budgets and the service plan, when one digs deep, one must pick out priorities. I accept the Deputy's point about those adults with disabilities whose parents are dead. Under the UN convention, these people have a right to a service so we must push that. I am confident that there will be major improvements in the service plan for 2020.