Aontaím go bhfuil géarghá ann le faoiseamh a thabhairt do theaghlaigh agus do leanaí atá gan faoiseamh tithíochta, go háirithe leanaí le riachtanais speisialta. Táimid ag déanamh gach aon iarracht na seirbhísí a chur ar fáil. Ní ceist áiseanna í seo. Ní ceist tacaíochta í. Tá na háiseanna ann. Tá an t-airgead ann. Is éard atá in easnamh ná na foirne a chur ar fáil agus na daoine a mhealladh isteach sna seirbhísí chun oibriú sna hionaid fhaoisimh seo.

I am fully aware of the situation in respect of Carrigaline Community Special School in Cork and respite services across the county. I would have met with the parents of Carrigaline Community Special School, which is a recently established school and the first of its kind under the ETB in the Cork area given a previous absence. I was involved in asking the ETB to come on to the scene to provide special education. This along with traditional providers is something we should welcome.

School patronage should not determine the availability of respite care for any child. All providers have service-level contracts with the HSE. In my view, those service-level contracts do not differentiate or in no way should be used to say that because you go to one particular school, you cannot avail of respite services provided by a provider. The children in a given disability area must be treated equally when it comes to the provision of services. The HSE confirmed to me that this is the case. It cannot just be about traditional practice. That would be a concern of mine having met the parents - that it is their view that because their children attend an ETB school, they do not have the right to respite services provided by traditional providers. The HSE will meet with all providers to make sure that is not the case. That is not the Government's position.

As the Deputy said, some services are suspended. The ten beds to which he referred are not operational because of staffing issues but my understanding is the HSE has not rejected the Minister of State's proposal that a combination of permanent staff along with agency staff be used to operationalise those beds. I believe the local HSE is working to try to create alternatives or models to see if we can operationalise those beds or provide respite to children in the area and likewise across the country. It is not a question of funding. The capital is there and will be there to provide additional respite facilities for children in addition to therapies. Other forms of provision will be utilised to attend to and provide for the needs of children with special needs.

I understand the anxiety of the parents involved. Many of those parents had anxiety two years ago about getting school places. At the time, we worked with the NCSE to establish new schools. We are working to make sure there is adequate therapy provision. If one form does not work in terms of the traditional way of recruiting therapists, we will have to look at other ways because we must look after the child and the families. That should be uppermost in all our concerns and it is in mine and that of the Government.

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