Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I am not satisfied with discussions and talks. We need action. It is not possible to leave families who look after their loves ones at home and who save the State a fortune by not putting them into residential care with no respite whatsoever. Talks are no good. They may solve other problems. There is a shortfall of €1 million in terms of what the Brothers of Charity received this year and other services are threatened. However, my question refers specifically to the opening of the respite house. I demand that the Government finds the €157,000 necessary to keep the house open. Otherwise, they are leaving dependent families, who have nowhere else to go, with an adult intellectually disabled person who may have to attend hospital with them. That is not good enough. Normally, I do not get as angry as I am today when I put questions in the Chamber. However, I am very angry on behalf of those families and parents.

I do not care whether the HSE is in talks with the Brothers of Charity or with the Department of Health and Children. I call for someone to represent the interests of the families affected. It is not enough to simply hold ongoing talks. We need a direct answer. When will the institution open such that the families concerned may sleep in their beds at night?

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