Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been raising issues of the lack of services for children with disabilities in County Monaghan since I was elected to this House and, in fact, beforehand. Disability services over my county are sorely lacking. Even the service elected representatives receive is often lacking as well.

There are two issues that I have raised with the Minister of State consistently that I want to put on the record of this House again. The first is in respect of respite services for children with disabilities in County Monaghan, which do not exist. Children in the county have to go onto the waiting list for the services in County Cavan, which themselves only operate every second week for children. The latest figures I have indicate that 33 children receive respite care in Cavan, all of whom are seeking additional hours that they need. There are a further 57 children on waiting lists for respite services and I know of others who have not even applied because they know the service is not available even though it is needed.

Second, there is a need for a special school in County Monaghan. There is a special school in County Cavan but again, there are children in County Monaghan, and I am sure in County Cavan as well, who cannot get access to it because it is full. Earlier this week, I heard the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, speaking on the radio about respite services. I want her to spell out precisely what the plan is for respite services. I heard her mention that the HSE is looking for a building to build or buy, or whatever the case may be. Will the Minister of State outline how much is in the budget this year to provide respite services? These are the same disability services that left a brand new building vacant for years in my home town of Carrickmacross after it had been built. There was a lack of forward planning.

Virtually a year ago, on 17 February 2023, I raised one particular tragic case of a family that are in desperate need of respite services. In fairness to the Minister of State, she was very empathetic and sympathetic and agreed there and then to meet the mother involved. This is a mother who has a child with profound additional needs and all sorts of other things going on. In fairness, the Minister of State held that meeting and there was a senior member of the disability services present. She will remember there was an issue in terms of policy with regard to the services in Cavan. After a number of months, that policy was changed. On successive, countless occasions since then, I have interacted through parliamentary questions with both the Minister of State and the disability services. On 25 September, for example, I got a response from the disability services indicating that, having considered this child's individual needs and in consultation with the child's mother, a plan had been devised to provide day respite hours initially and to gradually increase the duration of the child's visits. The length of these visits would be decided during upcoming meetings with the child's mother and the child. Once they became familiar and comfortable with the respite service at Annalee centre, overnight stays would be introduced. They are essentially blaming the child if they do not get respite care. That was from September 2023. Since then I have made references to the case here in the Dáil. I could not believe it when I spoke to the child's mother at the beginning of this year and she told me that the child still does not have overnight respite. It is a scandal.

I spoke to the Minister of State and, in fairness, she was amenable and answered the call. She told me that within 24 hours, the head of disability services would be in touch with me. I have still not been contacted. How am I supposed to provide representation to a family when we have senior officials that treat elected representatives like that? How can we trust that those officials are treating the families with the respect and dignity they deserve if they are treating us, who have this public platform, in this way? That mother was forced to go onto "Liveline" and local radio to outline the family's case. I ask the Minister of State to tell me when that child is going to have overnight respite care.

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