Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for what she added to the reply. The written reply leaves a lot to be desired and was obviously something that was written by departmental officials or the HSE. It bears very little relationship to reality. It states the objective of the strategic working group is to develop a new vision for disability services in line with national policy based on a social and human rights model of service provision for people. That sounds great but it is not happening. That is the sad part of it.

The reply also states that CHO 1 SWG meets on a regular basis to progress actions and oversee progress. It is not making much progress. Just consider how the families were treated just two weeks ago regarding the decongregation that is happening in Ard Greine Court. There is something wrong in the HSE if this is what it is saying is a high level and what it wants to give to us in the House. Reading this reply, anyone would think everything was rosy in the garden and it would make me wonder why I am raising this issue at all.

We know, unfortunately, what is happening on the ground. It is not being recognised. I thank the Minister of State for her interventions. I hope the review will be set up in June because that needs to happen very quickly. The families have no respect for the HSE and what it is doing, which is sad. After what has happened with Brandon, the system has not been rebuilt and that is the real problem. The review group the Minister of State is putting in place needs to work very well for Donegal and the whole country. There are major problems right up to the top of the HSE. Those have to be addressed.

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