Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with everything Deputy Casey said. I have been involved with advocating for people with disabilities in County Wicklow since my teenage years. I have absolutely no intention of allowing a report that has been commissioned and that has made very clear and stark recommendations to sit on a shelf. It is my absolute determination that the HSE will deliver what Deputy Casey rightfully calls for, namely, a very public response in terms of an implementation plan that shows exactly how we are going to deliver on all of the improvements the report seeks in respect of Sunbeam House Services.

For quite a period, parents have been highlighting concerns about a number of issues at Sunbeam House Services. It is my absolute view that the report vindicates those concerns. I understand the HSE published the report online and that it was subsequently taken down, and that there is some legal or administrative reason for this. The main comfort I take is that the parents have the report. It has been circulated because many parents got it from the website and they have seen it. I am sure Deputy Casey has seen it. I have seen it. There is no doubt about the body of work that needs to be done. I agree with the Deputy about the need to hold off on any merger until all of these issues have been fully resolved.

Many of the staff in Sunbeam House Services have been doing Trojan work at different levels and in a variety of roles. There is a clear need for improvement and things have gone wrong. The report leaves us in no doubt of that. However, for the people who work in Sunbeam House Services and do their very best to provide a good service, for the parents who advocate on behalf of their service users and for the families, I really believe that by working together we can make this an organisation that delivers the type of service we want to see in Wicklow and south Dublin, and one of which everybody can be proud. The report is the beginning of that process and stands as an important roadmap for the improvements we need to see. Now the HSE and Sunbeam need to get on with delivering it.

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