Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

The Minister of State has given a very general answer to a very specific question. I raise this question on behalf of the 63 families in the mid west who look after their intellectually disabled loved ones at home and who now have nowhere to put them. For example, I speak on behalf of a woman who is looking after her brother. Her parents are dead and she has no other brothers or sisters. She has nowhere to go. Another woman is concerned about going into hospital and reckons she will have to bring her adult son, who is over 40 years of age, with her to hospital.

I will not be satisfied until I get a direct answer to the question of when the respite centre in Clonisle, Limerick, will be re-opened. I seek a very simple answer to a very simple question. The amount of money involved is €157,000. It is not a large sum of money but it must be found for this purpose this week.

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