Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Respite is a serious issue across the entire country. I have been engaging with the Minister of State for the past two years on the problems we have in south Leitrim with families who are trying to get respite. In fairness, she came to a meeting in Carrick-on-Shannon and met the families and all the stakeholders. A group was then put in place to build a facility in Carrick-on-Shannon. That work has been moving at a glacial pace. The group meets every month and nothing happens between then and the previous month. There is huge frustration with the time it is taking. Almost a year later, they are finally getting to a stage where they are going to appoint an architect. They have the site. It is just crazy how long everything seems to take.

There was also the possibility of an opportunity in Cloonamahon House in Sligo, where there are two purpose-built bungalows for people with disabilities with rails and full accessibility. They have been decongregated.

One of them is empty while the other has two people in it. There was an opportunity to use that but that has not been used. I still hear that the HSE plans to turn them into office space. I know I said here in the past that the person who did that should be fired. I still feel that a person who would do that, who would think that this is appropriate, should be fired. Twenty years ago, families raised money to build those buildings for their children to have services and they were put there as residential services. Now they are no longer used as residential services but they are quite appropriate to use as respite services. However, the problem seems to be that the HSE does not want to do any of this work itself. It wants to ensure that all of it is done by other agencies from the private sector. The option that was put in place is the option of respite services in Boyle in County Roscommon, which again is being provided by a private provider. We have been waiting for months because that is not up and running.

I appreciate the Minister of State's commitment and that she is doing her best but, clearly, her best is not going to be enough to move whatever the obstacles are and there are serious obstacles in the way of ensuring we get services delivered for people across the country but particularly these families in south Leitrim that are still waiting two years on. The promises we made in Carrick-on-Shannon have not been fulfilled. I appeal to the Minister of State to put the pressure on to ensure we deliver on that.

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