Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy rightly highlighted the HSE's plan and intentions, which are to develop a larger short-term respite care facility for north Tipperary and to retain the current day services, to include dementia services. The Deputy is correct in making that point, but the Government, through the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, will engage further with the HSE and meet with the HSE and the relevant officials early in the new year, working together to come up with what we hope will be a revised plan, which the Government will then be in a position to support. I get funding requests for lots of things, but there has to be an agreed plan and the funding has to be sought. I will work with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, in an effort to deliver on the implementation of an agreed plan, which will require the support of the HSE as the delivery organisation. We will work together now to try to bring that about and to make progress on the issue.

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