Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I very much want to be associated with the Ceann Comhairle's words in respect of the two Ministers of State. We will hold them to account but we always seek to be respectful in doing so.

I will go back to the Labour Party motion tabled last week, when we specifically raised the issue of assessments of need. I acknowledge the fact the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, gave a commitment in respect of assessments of need when she stated:

If that is not done by 1 August, I will take to budget what the Labour Party has suggested today, that we will fund the families. I am giving the time to the HSE to act on the ask and I am supported by the senior Minister in that.

I again put that on the record and acknowledge that fact.

I raise the issue of Julie Anne Cunneen and her son, Liam, specifically in regard to Carrigaline. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, speak to the Carrigaline case? Last week, she said she had been in touch with the HSE, that she had listened to the "This Week' programme, and had subsequently engaged with the HSE. I do not want to misquote her, but I sense her surprise at the fact there were ten unused respite beds in CHO 4. I will return to that matter because my understanding was, specifically in respect of Carrigaline, that a certain number of those beds might be allocated specifically to those children who are under the patronage of the education and training board, ETB, and not under a disability service provider. Has any progress been made on that, not just for the Cunneen family but all the families of that school? That is the second point I hope the Minister of State will come back to us on.

I have no doubt there is no shortage of money in respect of seeking to make respite beds available for anybody who wishes to have them. I acknowledge that the Minister of State referenced €6.7 million of new development funding that is being made available to further expand respite services. Both Ministers of State, between last week's Labour Party motion and this week's Sinn Féin motion, have acknowledged the fact that moneys are being made available to provide up to 7,800 - I think that was the approximate figure - additional nights. How does the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, propose to bring those beds into operation? She made reference last week, specifically in respect of CHO 4, to the fact that:

I have suggested that CHO 4 needs to immediately stand up agency nursing to staff the ten beds until such time as the providers are allowed the funding to stand up those beds. Whatever rate needs to be paid, those nurses need to be stood up at that rate in order that no family is left in the situations presented here today. The lead agency stated to me that it needed 74 staff immediately. The HSE knows the ask and needs to deliver on that.

If I am extrapolating from CHO 4, which is one area, can we take it that the same pattern or model will be employed as regards the capital budget, or the budget of €6.7 million announced for 2023, whereby the HSE will be able to seek agency staff to ensure that the demand for those approximately 7,800 beds will be delivered?

I reiterate the call. To be fair, the Minister of State was very frank, honest and open with the Labour Party in her response last week. That is a rare thing in this House. I have stood on the Minister of State's side of the House and have had to deliver speeches and the company line. Again, and I say this respectfully, we will continue to hold the Minister of State to account for her words and hope that she will succeed in bringing into operation those respite beds that are so badly needed because of the number of cases we all have where we are dealing with families. We just want to see the services delivered for those people who so deserve them.

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