Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

When we rise tomorrow for whatever length of time, whatever number of months the Taoiseach chooses to close down Dáil Éireann, parents and carers of people with disabilities will have to see how they are fixed over that two or three-month period in terms of providing care. They do not want to know what this Government or that Government did or what the Taoiseach did as Minister for Health. They have simple requirements and I want the Taoiseach to answer their questions. First, will they have the respite care or not? Second, are there going to be cuts in the services they are getting?

The Taoiseach can have any arguments he wants with the HSE, and the HSE can have whatever arguments it needs to have with the service providers. Perhaps that should be done. The line Ministers need to take a hands-on approach if that is what must be done. However, the bottom line must be the point of view of persons who have a family member with disabilities for whom they are providing care in the home. Those people are at their wit's end and are stretched and strained trying to provide that care. They want to know whether they will still have their respite care or if it will be taken away from them as has already happened in some cases.

I have asked two questions. Will these people retain their respite care and are there going to be cuts in services? The Taoiseach must do whatever he has to do, with the HSE and with service providers, in order to make it happen. The Taoiseach is Head of Government; it is he who makes things happen.

See this speech in context