Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to see the Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy, is back dealing with this issue on Seaview respite home. Unfortunately, the situation has deteriorated since 18 January when I last was lucky enough to raise a Topical Issue on the staffing situation at the Seaview respite home and we last discussed it.

I am disappointed to have to put this Topical Issue forward. The reason I am disappointed is because, despite my best efforts, I have been unable to get a response from the HSE locally on the situation regarding the Seaview respite home. On 24 April, I emailed the manager of social care in the area and I followed up with a phone call to him on 15 May but still received no response. I spoke to him on 15 May and he said he would get a response for me. Four times in the past ten days, I rang the service manager for intellectual disabilities without any response either. That is why I have put forward this Topical Issue in the House this week.

It is a disgraceful waste of Dáil time that I have to submit this as a Topical Issue to get some sort of response from the HSE locally. It is ridiculous for this to happen in this situation. It shows a lack of management and a lack of compassion on the part of the HSE in Donegal on this matter.

There are 100 families who depend on this respite care home and it has now been closed for almost two months. In January, the Minister of State responded stating the HSE were recruiting staff and when they would be place, the respite home would be back up to full capacity. It is closed at present, however, and we cannot get an answer. The families cannot get an answer. As an Oireachtas Member, I cannot get an answer from the HSE locally. That is a disgrace. I hope the Minister of State's office will intervene and get a response from the HSE as to what is the situation and as to whether and, more importantly, when this home will reopen. Initially, families were told that it would possibly close for a month and it has been a lot longer than that. It is just not acceptable.

Other Deputies sought to raise Topical Issues and while I was lucky enough to have this one chosen today, it is disgraceful to have to go to such lengths to get a response from the HSE. I look forward to hearing what the Minister of State has to say.

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