Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A capital funding proposal has been submitted to the national HSE office for a bespoke stand-alone respite service facility in Cavan-Monaghan for children up to the age of 18 with an intellectual disability and high-support medical and complex needs. It is important to say the capital plan has not been published yet but the application has been submitted. At the moment I cannot confirm it in the Chamber, but it is a priority. I have met families and public representatives. There is a dire need for respite for children in Cavan-Monaghan and I have said it numerous times. I do not find sharing a respite centre with adults every second week acceptable. We need full-time respite for both adults and children.

The Government and the HSE have had regular conversations and are very much aware of the importance of respite service provision for families of both children and adults with disabilities and it is important we build on that. Respite for people with disabilities and their families is a key priority area for the HSE and there has been significant investment in services in the past number of years. In 2021 we added nine new houses, which brought 10,000 additional hours. In 2022, we added three, which were for complex speciality needs, and added 4,000 extra bed nights. In 2023, we added another five respite houses, which added 7,300. The capital plan is being finalised at the moment. I know Edel Quinn has done Trojan work with the team in Cavan-Monaghan to put together a proposal and design for adjudication by the HSE national office.

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