Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Minister of State is not the Minister with responsibility for disabilities or health, but I thank him for coming to the House to address the issue. I would thought that the HSE would provide him with detailed information on the crisis in counties Cavan and Monaghan. As I said, this is not the first time I have raised the issue. My colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, has also raised it on a number of occasions. There are parents in the region who have had no access to respite care services for five months.

I am aware the parents action group met officials from the HSE this morning. I am not exaggerating when I speak about the frustration and the significant number of families - more than 100 - who have been affected by this and when I say the parents are at the end of their tether. One family who came to me have a daughter who has a severe physical and intellectual disability. She is almost ten years of age and they have never been offered respite care. They are on a waiting list but these lists are so long. The one facility available is taken up because there is a child who has difficulties and needs to be housed on their own for whatever reason. There is no other facility to accommodate the parents and children who are on a waiting list.

We cannot carry on like this. These people are the most vulnerable in society. These are parents are exasperated and exhausted and are losing faith in the system, which they should be able to rely on for some support. Disability services within the HSE are crucial because most of these parents are the main carers for their children and provide care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All they are asking for is respite, which might be one night in five or six weeks.

The facility may be back in action but for five months more than 100 parents have had no respite care. That is not taking into account the parents and children who are on the waiting list and who have never had respite care. A plan must be put in place. Will the Minister of State convey to the Minister responsible the need for an action plan to deal with the crisis specific to Cavan-Monaghan?

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