Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The problem appears to be that if a case is a difficult one, the provider can decide that it is too much hassle and throw the money back. That is what is going on. People need to start being responsible for the jobs they have at hand. The facts at the moment are that if someone is under 18 years of age there is really no place to go. We tried everything for that youngster. It is such a sad story. When that youngster became an adult, the choices that is facing parents at the moment is that they go to an accident and emergency department, drop their child off and disown them. That is an awful thing to have to say, to try to get residential care. Alternatively, parents go to the Four Courts, down the road. Those are the two choices parents have at the moment. I see so many parents. In this instance, there is an intellectual disability. Some people need help. Parents have looked after their youngsters for many years. They have grown older. They are worried before they pass on that there would be some place to look after their children. At the moment, we have no place in this country to help those people. I have liaised with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. This is not about her or the person in the HSE in the west of Ireland. This is about a charity that is getting a lot of taxpayers' money that is not prepared to do the graft. It has told us blatant lies and not it has said that it will throw back the money and we will leave you high and dry. That is not acceptable.

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