Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Minister of State there is no decent complement of services for families in Donegal. We have been aware of the realities of Covid-19 for well over a year. Notwithstanding the fantastic job many staff are doing in facilities such as Drumboe Respite House, Stranorlar, which is being used as emergency accommodation for a number of vulnerable adults, children and families are being asked to forego respite care services. There is no end in sight for them.

If it is the case that contingency plans for accommodation or respite care in other facilities need to be put in place, then so be it. I ask the Minister of State to put in place a plan to reopen Drumboe Respite House as a matter of urgency. It would be welcome were she to provide a date for when this will happen. I ask the Minister of State to bear in mind that the children who use this facility are familiar with it. They know it intimately and they feel safe and secure there. This is an important consideration. After the year these children and families have faced, they deserve that the Department acts with urgency to resolve the situation and get Drumboe Respite House reopened for respite care services.

See this speech in context