Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Independent Group for bringing this motion forward. Respite care centres are a gift in any community and can give those in need of care a break and give the family carer a respite from caring. In our community we are fortunate to have the Dromcollogher Respite Care Centre, which is a wonderful strength and resource. It is open to all areas in our rural community.

Respite care centres such the one in Dromcollogher are guided and regulated by HIQA to ensure the quality of care and safety of residents. However, I am adamant that there has to be a relaxing of the rules when it comes to respite care versus nursing homes. For example, living space and relaxing areas need not be as large. The brief for respite care centres is clear in that they provide short-term care for residents. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has visited Dromcollogher - I was there when she visited - and she has seen at first hand the type of centre it is and the type of care it gives.

Relaxation would enable residents to bring their prescribed medication in blister packs prepared by their own pharmacy, rather than having to get an in-house doctor and pharmacist to deal with it, which makes the experience complicated and may not be altogether necessary. Basically, if a person is coming for respite care, he or she is coming with medication from his or her doctor, but the ruling is that when people come into a respite centre they must use an in-house doctor. A person could have drugs from Monday to Thursday that are prescribed by a doctor externally but when the person comes into a respite centre that is being duplicated, at a cost. I am asking for that to be relaxed and for the drugs that are prescribed by external doctors to be allowed come into the centre.

See this speech in context