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

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.

As the Deputy will be aware, I am keenly aware of the critical importance of respite for loved ones and families of those with a disability and I am deeply committed to expanding the respite service, both in terms of quantity of hours and in terms of locations throughout the country.

Basically, let me explain it to Deputy Tully like this. When I did the budget in 2021, because of the cost involved my ambition was that I would provide one respite house in each community health organisation, CHO, around the country. We all know that each CHO could have multiple numbers of counties. In 2022, that went to ten houses, to 11 and to 12. I have enough funding for another respite house in each CHO again but this time I have built on it. What I have built on it this time is three complex needs ones - two for medical complex needs and one to do with Prader–Willi syndrome, which is costing €600,000.

The idea here is to put a respite house into every single county. By the time I leave Government or no longer hold ministerial office, my legacy will be that I will have built in respite houses. I believe that we need to create capacity. The capacity is needed. We understand clearly from Covid one of the issues was that parents of children and adults could not access respite and in order for us to ensure that relationships last for as long as possible, we need to give the parent the night's sleep and give them regular respite. Then, guess what? We can keep family connectivity for the better.

I met the Deputy when I visited Monaghan at the request of Deputies Niamh Smyth and Brendan Smith, and where I also met Senator Gallagher, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and Senator Joe O'Reilly. I was informed by the local CHO in Cavan that the disability services provide respite for adults and children in Annalee View Respite Centre, Cootehill, County Cavan, on alternative weeks. To be honest with the Deputy, I was quite shocked to hear that. I was quite shocked to hear that children and adults alternatively have only one house in the entire county to deliver respite. It is not what I would deem a fair or equitable access to services. One house in one county does not meet the needs by any manner or means. When I visited the primary care centre, one of the ladies within the HSE progressing disability services spoke to me at length about that. As I say, it is something that has to be prioritised.

Respite services for adults in Cavan-Monaghan catchment area are provided from Steadfast House, Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. The Annalee View facility had previously closed due to major repair works on-site. Following the temporary closure of Annalee View and throughout the Covid pandemic, respite continued to be provided in a new location called Killygowan Respite Centre, Cavan. Funding was allocated in 2020 to the community healthcare organisation of Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo to develop respite services. The 2020 funding is required to be allocated based on assessed respite service needs across the community health area. This year Sligo and Leitrim area of the community healthcare area have been identified as the area in which respite service developments are required initially.

The question Deputy Tully has asked me is, where the house going or what is happening in CHO 1? I am telling the Deputy it is going to the Sligo-Leitrim area, not to Cavan-Monaghan. To be honest with the Deputy, the Cavan-Monaghan situation only came to light when I was with Deputy Smyth two weeks ago.

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