Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

The national carer's strategy 2012 sets out Government policy on family carers. Oversight of the strategy is led by the Department of Health, with individual Departments leading on action areas that fall within their remit. The Department of Social Protection provides payment supports to carers, while my Department supports the provision of respite services for people with disabilities and their carers.

The Government and the HSE are aware of the importance of respite service provision for the families of both children and adults with disabilities, and the vital work done by family carers, as well as the impact that caring can have on carers' physical and mental health.

The programme for Government contains a number of relevant commitments including addressing concerns in relation to financial supports for family carers and progressively increasing funding for respite services, including the home support emergency respite scheme, which is funded by the Department of Health. These commitments will be progressed over the lifetime of the Government.

Respite is part of the continuum of HSE-funded supports for people with disabilities and their families and typically consists of short breaks for service users and their carers. Respite services play a crucial role in preventing carer burnout, help to prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserve the family unit and support family stability.

Currently, the demand for respite is outpacing the capacity of the system to respond. The Department is working with the HSE and service providers to increase provision, but also through the exploration of alternative forms of respite, such as home sharing and after-school respite.

Respite sessions for people with disabilities have increased progressively over the last few years. In 2025, the HSE is on course to deliver 164,059 respite nights to 7,460 people and 65,151 respite day-only sessions.

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