Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will go ahead with the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne. I was not going to raise that as an issue.

In my submission I referred to the facility in question as a training centre, but an assisted and supported living centre would be more appropriate for what is planned in Dunboyne, County Meath. In fairness, the Health Service Executive is engaging with local families to put in place a full facility for 25 citizens with intellectual disabilities who need assisted living and support as they go into adulthood from second level education. Praxis Care, on behalf of the HSE, is already doing it for one adult in Dunboyne. There are many other families who want that support, however. Families have to fight and fight again to get the support and services that their children or brothers and sisters need as citizens of this State. I acknowledge the tremendous work and efforts that some families put in on behalf of their family members, which ultimately benefits the rest of society, particularly regarding intellectual disabilities. Services have been put in place through the efforts of these pioneers which benefit everyone else.

The main issue about the particular service in Dunboyne is uncertainty about the venue. A particular family in the locality has sourced a site for the HSE and already Praxis Care is operating out of it. However, a little spanner seems to have been put in the works. Due to the demand which the HSE has acknowledged, it is now looking for a permanent space for this facility which will be run by Praxis Care. There is a bit of uncertainty as to the future for this particular facility.

Parents, as the Minister of State will understand, are concerned. As well as acknowledging families, some staff members in the HSE - they know who they are - go beyond the call of duty in these matters. However, they are constrained by their bosses, funding considerations and Government policy. We are looking for some clarity as to the service which will be provided from September when more adults come on board, when they have essentially left secondary school, to get the service offered. At the moment, the HSE cannot tell anybody where and how that service will take place. It is important clarity is given in that regard.

Post-school supports and assisted living services for adults with intellectual disabilities are a problematic issue across society. It is not just an issue in Dunboyne but throughout the country. These services help them be good citizens in society. It is an ongoing difficulty with many changes to services. Some have had difficulties with these changes. There is an ever greater demand for these services. There has been a well-documented rise in the number of autism and autism spectrum disorder, ASD, diagnoses. Many of these citizens with ASD are going through the school system and coming to the end of it. With these large numbers, we need provision for them into the future. I know families stay awake at night worrying for the future of their child, brother or sister. We need to give as much certainty as possible, recognising they are citizens and that society has an obligation to ensure they can participate in civic society in as normal a fashion as possible.

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