Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I certainly will. As Minister of State with responsibility for mental health respite, this is one of Deputy Butler's priorities, so I will certainly convey the Deputy's points to her. Respite is also a priority for me within disability services.

For me to stand here and tell the Deputy I know of a house that is closed because we cannot staff it is extraordinary. We have to question why we cannot staff it. I know there are shortages everywhere else but sometimes we have to look at the wages and what we we pay people who work in these services. We also need to move away completely from the medical model and towards a more social model. The team does not always need to be medically-led. A social care worker with good staff can also deliver and support the respite piece. Cork is a huge challenge for me, especially with regard to respite and residential care. That is why I will be going away today and discussing this house that is closed. I know it is run by the Cope Foundation but I have to wonder why a house would be closed when I have funding to deliver that service. At the same time, when I get agencies in they are able to recruit staff and service the sites for me, which is why I was able to deliver the ten houses I delivered last year. I have to wonder about the management of funding and why that cannot be done nationwide.

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