Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The HSE has confirmed to me that there have been no new residential services for people with disabilities developed in south Tipperary since 2017. That means it has been five years since any additional capacity was added to the residential services children with disabilities can be referred to. In the same response, the HSE confirmed that 13 families have requested residential services for their children while there is also a cohort of children in the care of Tusla who will need these services. South east community healthcare is operating with limited resources and is not getting any extra. In this same letter, the HSE confirms that respite services are at capacity and that families requiring urgent respite are waiting longer than six months for a single night. That is an appalling legacy for the Taoiseach. He says he has only been in office for two years but he was involved in a confidence and supply arrangement for five years before that. In fact, he has always been involved because he set up the HSE. That is what we have now.

The Government has failed the children with special needs and it is shocking. Waffling answers are no good. The Taoiseach has money for everything else but has no money for these desperately needed services.

See this speech in context