Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has no way of knowing how frustrating his answer is. This issue dates back to the early 2000s, when the families of a group of young women with physical and sensory disabilities first sought for it to be addressed. Those young people had been cared for in their homes all their lives, but their parents were getting older. They approached the health authorities and the local housing services to seek a long-term solution to their needs. Since then, they have met delay after delay and experienced consternation after consternation. Throughout the planning process, one obstacle after another was put in their way. If it was not for the doggedness of the parents of these young people, the building would never have reached completion. It has now been complete for several years and in each of those years, the response which the Minister of State just read out has been returned to the families. They are told that the Government will see whether the project can be included in the Estimates for next year. The Minister is not present, but three Ministers of State at the Department of Health are. I ask them to bring the clear message to the Minister that this issue will not go away. I will raise it at every opportunity available to me until a Minister takes responsibility, grabs the HSE by the scruff of the neck and opens the house in question for these people.

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