Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Mr. Dempsey. There are a number of questions. I will go back to the issue of the teams that have been developed around the country for progressing disability services, and the resources and challenges there. A lot of primary care centres have physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists.

They seem to be working in a different area. Is there scope for greater integration of all those who work within the HSE, whether they are in primary care centres or in disability services? Is it the case that people are working in silos or are we developing two different teams? Should the professionals who are working there integrate the disability services more into the mainstream? Would that help?

There were plans by some service providers to develop alternative respite care on foot of HIQA regulations and so on. How has the HSE expanded the provision of alternative respite?

Another matter came to my attention recently. A person with dementia got two weeks of respite care, which was hugely beneficial for everybody concerned. I was asked whether those spaces are something we should look at, considering that the nursing homes have a large number of activities for people. The community nursing homes run by the HSE or the private nursing homes have many activities going on. Would it be possible that people with dementia, who benefit greatly from this communicative involvement, could attend these activities even if they are not full residential clients? Could we expand this to have those people attend on a day service basis, with appropriate funding put in place to ensure the placements with the organisations?

These are some of the issues. I have a few more, so we might deal with those first and then come back to the others.