Dáil debates

Thursday, 5 May 2022

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate

Disability Services

6:55 pm

Photo of Pauline TullyPauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The house in Cootehill actually caters for Cavan and Monaghan - it is two counties. I accept Steadfast House cater for some in Carrickmacross as well but for children in the two counties, it is Annalee View.

The day the Minister of State refers to in Carrickmacross, I was talking to some of the people in the HSE as well. I will not name the place they mentioned but they were talking about some of the settings that are now being decongregated. Is there a possibility that some of those could be now turned into centres for respite? They are not suited for long-term residential purposes for all the reasons that people are better in their community but I wonder whether that could be an option because I had a conversation with someone about that. I thought that might have been something that was on the cards. I can tell the Minister of State privately the place they mentioned as well.

I want to raise another issue that has been raised with me about whether something can be done in the case where someone, who could have been waiting for weeks or months, is offered some respite but then an emergency cases arises and the respite care is cancelled at very short notice or even in the middle of the break the person may be having. Emergencies will arise on a continuous basis. A man I spoke to told me that he and his wife had hardly any breaks at all before their daughter was given respite for two nights. They booked two nights away but on the second day, they received a telephone call telling them they would have to take their daughter out of respite because an emergency case had arisen. It was heartbreaking because they never got away for a break. Can something be done about that as well?

For adults, I hope there might be less need for respite in the long term if we have more community settings with supported independent living provided. We will always need it for children going forward. At the moment, though, unfortunately, we have to focus on both.

I thank the Minister of State for her response.

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