Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In mid-March, disability day services, including the intellectual disability services, were closed with a small number of exceptions. In May and early June, Inclusion Ireland surveyed the people who use these services and their families to establish the impact of the closure of services. In total, 291 family members answered the survey, as did 55 people with intellectual disability. The impact of the closure of the day service on the mental health of these people cannot be underestimated. A significant number of respondents reported increased loneliness, anxiety, challenging behaviour or anger. One third of those with intellectual disabilities said they had little or no contact with the services.

I will read from some of the responses received. One person referred to an odd text message but nothing else for ten weeks. Another person said he was highly disappointed with the services and the HSE. He felt absolutely forgotten about. He said there was little to offer by way of support for the family who care for him 24-7. Another person said there was no service aside from a ticking telephone call for the relatives. All they got was a telephone call. Another person said he was sent out a pack with a magazine and activities etc., as well as a telephone call.

Prior to the lockdown a total of 123 respondents had access to respite and a further 40 had access to home-based support. Since the lockdown only 15 people have had some respite and 16 people got some home-based support.

Here are more responses from the survey. One person said he got absolutely no respite and no day care since the service closed in March. This has had a tremendous impact of all concerned. His parents are managing him 24-7. The care was given over to them and there was no respite or home support. The carers were totally exhausted with never a minute off. There was no time for other family members who also needed support. There was continuous striving to maintain calmness.

It is of vital importance that the Minister for Health makes temporary funding available to ensure that as many people get supported with the greatest amount of time possible upon reopening the services. When the lockdown came I saw that people who had carers coming to their houses had their hours reduced from eight to six, to four, to two. I have seen carers who wanted to go to work told by the caring services they only had a half an hour or an hour to provide the services. Why were carers who were willing to work not allowed to work?