Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important issue. I will give the Minister of State a two-year history of the situation. Respite facilities were discontinued for children with disabilities in November 2015. The facilities had been in place for a number of years and, to compound matters, the facilities in Kilkenny closed at around the same time leaving two counties, Carlow and Kilkenny, with no overnight respite facilities for children with profound intellectual disabilities. A structure was put in place to alleviate the problem and much progress seemed to have been made, with everybody pulling together, until last week when a meeting took place between parents and HSE representatives, who informed those at the meeting that the whole thing had fallen apart. In frustration and anger, I put forward this matter today to try to learn why this had come to pass.

On 1 November last, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath, for whom I have the utmost respect, said a venue for respite services had now been delivered and agreed for Carlow, that the respite tendering document was currently being reviewed by the HSE procurement department and it was expected that the tendering process would be advertised in due course at www.etenders.gov.ie. He said it was anticipated that the proposals would provide respite services for Carlow and Kilkenny initially in tandem with an alternative proposal being assessed for Kilkenny to provide overnight respite services. On 22 February 2017, this point was reinforced by the Minister, who said the process had been put in place, a service provider had been agreed on and it was hoped overnight respite services would be up and running again in July 2017.

Why did the HSE lead parents, and those involved, up the garden path as regards the services which were to be made available? If they were not going to be available from day one, why were people not told that? My understanding is that the HSE was in negotiation with Respond!, the voluntary housing association. Housing was not made available because Respond! was initially given finance for housing for adults, and not for children with disabilities. This is mindboggling. When did the HSE or Minister become aware of this legal difficulty? What will happen now that the service is not available?

There is good news at the end of the story because the HSE has now decided that funding, which was not available six months ago, will be available to build a new structure. Where has the money come from in the past six months to build the purpose-built facility that was part of the initial proposal? Everybody wanted a purpose-built facility and a site was located, but no money was available six months ago. It is available now but it will take two years to build the facility. What services are going to be provided in the next two years for the children who badly need the facilities? There are more questions to be answered. Officials in the HSE have misled successive Ministers on this issue and I would like answers.

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