Dáil debates

Thursday, 16 December 2021

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation

 

12:40 pm

Photo of Mattie McGrathMattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group I thank the Ceann Comhairle and want to be associated with all the remarks to the staff and everybody else. I wish everybody a happy, holy, peaceful and restful Christmas.

My question concerns a restful Christmas. The Brothers of Charity do sterling work throughout the Twenty-six Counties and have for decades, but they are starved of funding at present. The worst area is respite. Families who have challenging young adults, and maybe adults, need respite. What keeps them alive is the weekend they get every month or two months. It is being hammered and the Brothers of Charity need the funding. They have dedicated staff and I thank them. They will be working over Christmas. The families need respite. In County Tipperary it is an acute problem. They are not getting respite, parents are getting sick and are under huge strain. In a year when the Government has spent about €5 billion extra on top of what the HSE always had, I cannot see why this valuable organisation should be starved for cash.

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