Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I am anxious to get to the root of the numbers of respite beds not only available but also those required to bring us to a position whereby all families can avail of this vital service monthly. Respite is an extremely vital service and a survival requirement for many families, carers and patients. When dealing with patients with special needs, many carers and loved ones have to be available 24 hours a day to attend to all the needs of their charges. Respite gives all involved an opportunity to recharge the batteries with a change of pace. Even going to the shops without worrying about the patient will release tensions, both physical and mental.

People caring for patients with special needs are well entitled to a monthly break as a basic human right. All of us have set hours in our week, even our fantastic front-line healthcare staff, but many who care for special needs patients advise that it has been many months since they have had an overnight break to allow them to massage their brains and relieve all their built-up stress and pressure. Caring for special needs patients is a full-time job in the real sense of the word, in many cases entailing doing and supporting all functions for them, including the most basic. The cost to the Department of Health to provide once-monthly respite to all those qualifying would be negligible in comparison with the cost if these carers were not willing and able to act in lieu of the State, saving costs of hundreds of additional qualified staff and a vastly increased number of full-time residences for a large percentage of these patients.

The number of respite beds available for patients with special needs for use by six- to 18-year-olds in Kerry confirmed to me recently by the HSE is eight on seven nights a week, split evenly between north and south Kerry. The number of respite beds available for patients with special needs for use by those over the age of 18 is ten on seven nights a week and five on three nights a week. It would be extremely helpful if we could know the numbers of families that this level of respite beds are caring for, the average regularity of this care offered to any family and the total number of respite beds required to be in place in Kerry to give every family a monthly break.

In parts of Kerry, particularly the peninsula of Corca Dhuibhne, Dingle, and west Kerry and Uíbh Ráthach, Iveragh, and south Kerry, there are difficulties in attracting suitably qualified staff to operate these respite beds. That is a huge problem. I believe we should now also consider offering added incentives to potential employees to come and work in these lesser populated areas away from the bright lights and also for those who might be persuaded to return home from abroad if circumstances suited. We can also accept that different patients have different requirements, but these are already being cared for, mainly by family members, who in the vast majority of cases have no training or qualification in this field whatsoever.

I thank those staff who operate respite beds in Kerry and the companies that administer them, such as St. John of God's, Orchard Care, T1 Healthcare and the Kerry Parents and Friends Association. Fantastic facilities are being operated in Kerry at Whitefield, Beaufort on the campus of St. Joseph's Special School by St. John of God's. I urge the Minister to use this already owned property and buildings to further develop respite places for the families of Kerry in this wonderful setting, generously donated for a specific purpose by the Doyle family of Beaufort.

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