Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important issue. I will give the Minister of State a two-year history of the situation. Respite facilities were discontinued for children with disabilities in November 2015. The facilities had been in place for a number of years and, to compound matters, the facilities in Kilkenny closed at around the same time leaving two counties, Carlow and Kilkenny, with no overnight respite facilities for children with profound intellectual disabilities. A structure was put in place to alleviate the problem and much progress seemed to have been made, with everybody pulling together, until last week when a meeting took place between parents and HSE representatives, who informed those at the meeting that the whole thing had fallen apart. In frustration and anger, I put forward this matter today to try to learn why this had come to pass.

On 1 November last, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath, for whom I have the utmost respect, said a venue for respite services had now been delivered and agreed for Carlow, that the respite tendering document was currently being reviewed by the HSE procurement department and it was expected that the tendering process would be advertised in due course at www.etenders.gov.ie. He said it was anticipated that the proposals would provide respite services for Carlow and Kilkenny initially in tandem with an alternative proposal being assessed for Kilkenny to provide overnight respite services. On 22 February 2017, this point was reinforced by the Minister, who said the process had been put in place, a service provider had been agreed on and it was hoped overnight respite services would be up and running again in July 2017.

Why did the HSE lead parents, and those involved, up the garden path as regards the services which were to be made available? If they were not going to be available from day one, why were people not told that? My understanding is that the HSE was in negotiation with Respond!, the voluntary housing association. Housing was not made available because Respond! was initially given finance for housing for adults, and not for children with disabilities. This is mindboggling. When did the HSE or Minister become aware of this legal difficulty? What will happen now that the service is not available?

There is good news at the end of the story because the HSE has now decided that funding, which was not available six months ago, will be available to build a new structure. Where has the money come from in the past six months to build the purpose-built facility that was part of the initial proposal? Everybody wanted a purpose-built facility and a site was located, but no money was available six months ago. It is available now but it will take two years to build the facility. What services are going to be provided in the next two years for the children who badly need the facilities? There are more questions to be answered. Officials in the HSE have misled successive Ministers on this issue and I would like answers.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Pat Deering for raising this matter. My colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath, is very much aware of the importance of respite service provision for the families of children with disabilities, as I am. I also acknowledge the impact that the absence of respite service provision can have on families. Respite services for the parents of children in Carlow were previously provided by Holy Angels in Tír na nÓg. In December 2015, the Holy Angels day care centre advised HIQA and the HSE of the decision of the board of management to close Tír na nÓg from January 2016. In March 2016, an alternative day respite provision was set up in partnership with the HSE and Holy Angels. It was agreed that the alternative arrangement would continue to be provided by Holy Angels in the Delta centre for an interim period.

I am informed that it has been challenging to source appropriate premises to include provision for overnight respite purposes which would be both compliant with HIQA standards and suitable for children. On 28 September 2016, the HSE met with representatives from an external voluntary agency to consider a proposal to use one of their premises in the Carlow-Kilkenny area, to which the Deputy referred. It was at all times understood that the external service provider owned the house in question and it was agreed that the HSE could proceed to utilise the premises for the delivery of respite services therein until such time as a permanent respite house could be provided. In preparing to implement the agreement, the HSE sought information from the agency with regard to the property in question. During this process, it became apparent that the agency did not own the premises in question and the HSE was unable to implement the agreement to use the premises for respite.

It is the intention of the HSE to continue to seek a suitable premises for the provision of respite services. The long-term intention of the HSE is to develop a new purpose-built respite service for Carlow-Kilkenny. I will pass on to the Minister the Deputy's question about where the funding has come from but funding has been identified to progress the development of this facility so that a stand-alone respite house can be purpose built. The HSE is engaging architects to finalise a design to build a purpose-built respite house in conjunction with Enable Ireland. This project will take approximately two years to complete but will provide a sustainable, permanent respite facility.

Separately, the respite tender process was completed in January 2017 and all parties notified of the outcome. Enable Ireland is the successful provider and the families of children in the Carlow-Kilkenny area have been informed. Consent will be sought from all families to commence a process of transferring client information to the new provider, Enable Ireland. Enable Ireland will identify a suitable location for respite services and will seek HIQA registration. The HSE, in conjunction with Enable Ireland, is working towards providing overnight centre-based respite services as soon as suitable premises can be identified. In the interim, the HSE continues to work in close collaboration with Enable Ireland to develop alternative models of overnight respite, such as holiday breaks and in-home respite.

The HSE will continue to engage and meet regularly with parents in Carlow and Kilkenny and, as the Deputy said, they met most recently on 26 April 2017 in both counties in regard to the provision of respite services. I will take many of the Deputy's comments on board and will bring them back to the Minister.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for the response. This has led to a very frustrating situation in Carlow and there are many more questions left unanswered.

While the Minister of State outlined the background, there is no new information in that regard. The good news is that a new house potentially will be built. However, three years ago a local developer proposed to provide money to build a facility and was not allowed to do so. He provided a site for free and provided expertise. He applied for planning permission, but was not allowed to do so. We have wasted three years at this stage.

Enable Ireland won the tender to provide the service, but now it has no service to provide. It has no facility to allow it to carry out the work required. Enable Ireland won the tender to provide respite services for children who badly need them. The children and their families require this service and it is essential that it exists. Enable Ireland is out there to provide this service that does not exist. Will it be paid for this service that will not exist? That is a big question that has to be answered. What facilities will be available for them?

Two years is a long time. In this whole sorry saga, things keep changing time and time again. We need definite answers as to why this has come to pass at this stage. Why were the legal issues over ownership of the house not sorted out initially rather than carrying out the tendering process, appointing Enable Ireland and, most unfortunately, telling the parents of these children that the service would be available in July 2017 when it was never going to be there? Those are the big questions that need to be answered.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I agree that the situation is far from ideal for the families involved. It is now important to put in place a plan and to stick to it. Obviously, as the Deputy has outlined, that has not happened in previous years. It is important that Enable Ireland has been appointed. The priority is to identify a suitable residence where it can provide this service. While I do not want to say "think outside the box", in the interim it will need to use the resources available to it to provide the best service it possibly can to the standard required.

I cannot answer all the questions the Deputy has asked, but I will bring them back to the Minister of State. The long-term goal is for a purpose-built building. It is obviously a positive sign that plans have been already drawn up and that an architect is working on them. The Deputy's concerns are very valid and I will certainly bring them back to the Minister of State and ask him to ensure the plan is adhered to and work continues in the right direction.