Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this debate on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. I thank Deputy McGuinness for raising this important issue and for giving me the opportunity to outline the position with regard to the provision of respite services to clients of SOS in Kilkenny.

This Government's ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable people in the care of the health service. We are committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities, which will empower them to live independent lives. Respite services are an important part of the range of services supporting people with disabilities and their families. Short breaks can also provide an opportunity for individuals to meet new people, widen their social circles, and gain new experiences. Respite care is crucial in helping to reduce family stress, preserve family units, and provide stability.

The need for increased respite services is acknowledged and the HSE continues to work with all service providers to explore various ways of responding to this need in line with the budget available. As part of its ongoing service provision, the HSE will provide more than 182,500 respite nights and 32,662 day respite sessions this year to families in need right across the country. In 2018, there was a significant improvement in respite. An additional €10 million was provided to fund 12 new respite homes. This comprises one in each HSE community healthcare organisation, CHO, area and an additional three houses in the greater Dublin area to respond to the very high demand for respite in this region. These 12 additional houses are providing additional respite for families that need it.

This year the HSE will also fund a number of alternative respite services. These are practical and important solutions, such as summer camps and evening and Saturday clubs, which benefit hundreds of adults and children. The number of adult service users continually increases as service users transfer from child to adult services. This impacts on the level of respite existing service users receive.

The budget allocation for SOS in 2019 is approximately €10.7 million, which represents an increase of 4.5% on the 2018 allocation of €10.2 million. This allocation provides for the maintenance of the 2018 level of approved services in 2019.

South East Community Healthcare is proactively working with the SOS CEO and team to develop a plan that will contribute to resolving the organisation's financial position in a structured way over a time-defined period. In addition, the respite house in Tullow, County Carlow is expected to open in due course. To ensure the continued provision of respite services across the south east, a task force group has been established to review respite services and ensure delivery in a fair and equitable way that meets the needs of the service users. SOS Kilkenny is a member of this task force group.

If Deputy McGuinness would like to forward me some information regarding the person about whom he spoke, I will bring it to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Harris, straight away.

See this speech in context