Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This issue relates to adult day services in the disability sector and, in particular, transport to regions in the south-east. Cumas is a service in New Ross, Wexford, and SOS is a service in Kilkenny. A situation in SOS has come to my attention. There was transport for a particular individual prior to the arrival of Covid-19. Now that the service has reopened, the person concerned is attending two days a week but the transport is no longer accessible or does not seem to be accessible for this family. An elderly mother is driving her daughter to the day service, a daily 80 km trip. The mother obviously wants to keep her daughter in the service, and it is valuable to her, but it will not be possible for her to keep up that level of driving on a daily basis. Will the Minister of State look into this case specifically, if I send her the details?

There were issues regarding transport for Cumas in New Ross of which the Minister of State might be aware. I believe some funding for that service was recently announced. Perhaps she could confirm exactly what the funding was for and how much was involved. Would she consider meeting with the parents of the people who use that service? I acknowledge the way things are with Covid now but even an online meeting to discuss the situation would be welcomed by those parents. Since Covid has happened, they have an active parents committee which has come together on many issues. We have all learned from Covid how to manage situations better in the future, the importance of forward planning and not to be left wondering what to do when something unforeseen happens. Will the Minister of State confirm that funding was given to Cumas and what it was for? If she were willing to chat to those parents, they would welcome it. Will she also address the case of the individual in SOS, Kilkenny, the details of which I can pass onto her?

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