Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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I would like to mention the fact that Mr. Gloster came to Wexford and visited those facilities. This coming funding has been announced as granted this morning, and I refer in particular to the school leavers programme for Cumas New Ross, which should keep people out of the day service and move them on to a brighter future.

To follow on from what my colleague said, the reason I asked Mr. Gloster to come to Wexford was to plan for the future of the service users of section 39 organisations but, equally, for the families. He would have seen the demographic. We also have Reachability and St. Aidan's, also in great need. The demographic of many of the service users in both those facilities is parents in the upper echelons of 75 to 85 years of age. The plan we spoke about the last time Mr. Gloster was here was for residential beds. I am afraid that is where the future for many of the service users is, and we do not have those beds. Equally, I have two constituents in Wexford who are in need of in-house residential services due to brain injuries. There is no possibility of that in Wexford, and I do not think there is any possibility because of their age group. One is 27 years of age and the other is 55 but does not want to go into a nursing home setting. She is currently residing with her sister, who is working full-time within the HSE. She has a home care support package that they are now removing from her because her sister will not go into a nursing home and because they expected that, when they granted it, she would get somewhat better. I do have the full facts but I do not know how that happened. She is not getting better.

Removing the supports she currently has at home means that her sister's job is in jeopardy because she cannot do the night shift and work all day. The sister is her primary carer and is not in receipt of a carer's allowance. She has a full-time job with the HSE. We have to support these people. When Mr. Gloster says to me the governance in certain areas is the HSE governance, is he in effect operating with one hand behind his back?