Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Ceann Comhairle affording me the opportunity to raise this important matter. I am glad the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, is taking it. Unfortunately, existing respite services across Cavan and Monaghan for persons with disabilities - both children and adults - are totally inadequate. Not enough resources are being devoted to this critical area, which is extremely important for many individuals and their families. There are not enough centres or enough personnel working in the existing centres. The services are underfunded, under-resourced and the personnel in them are working under great pressure.

I know many people who have family members accessing those services. Even though they would be disappointed with the limited time they get the opportunity to leave a son, a daughter or a sibling in those centres, the message I have heard at all times emphasises the respect the families have for the facilities and the personnel working in the centres. One gentleman told me today that he and his wife have wonderful respect for the services and the personnel who deliver the services, when they are available. The gentleman in question is of pension age. He and his wife have an adult child with a disability. On a number of occasions, their proposed respite was cancelled. The same person had hospital appointments to coincide with the respite period that was proposed for their child. It is very difficult for families when respite care that is promised for a certain number of weeks or for a few days is cancelled. The family member, who is the carer at home 99% of the time, may have a hospital appointment away from Cavan or Monaghan, usually in Dublin. This creates serious problems and literally a crises for such families when proposed respite is cancelled.

There are only three centres across Cavan and Monaghan delivering these services. One of those is the Annalee View respite care centre in Cootehill, County Cavan. Families who have loved ones who gone there for respite have told me they very much appreciate the commitment, hard work and professionalism of the staff at the centre, but they are not able to access it as they should be able to do so. There have been cancellations. There is no provision in Cavan-Monaghan for managing a crisis. If a crisis arises for some families, that entails cancellations of services and respite for other people.

A gentleman read a letter to me earlier. He stated that, in 2005, I had been given a reply by the HSE in respect of a question on the need to improve services. He reminded me that the level of services available in 2005 was much better than at present. Even at that time, the Department of Health and the HSE recognised that there was an immediate need to improve and extend the level of services available. There is an urgent need to ensure that adequate resources are provided to ensure that there is an increase in personnel delivering those critical services and that there are also extensions to the existing centres or new centres developed.

I referred to the Annalee View respite care centre in Cootehill, which offers services for both adults and children. Some people have suggested that children and adult services should be separate. However, regardless of the architecture in the delivery of services, we need a proper levels of services to ensure that those people are given that respite when they need it.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am responding to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath. I thank the Deputy for raising it and for giving me the opportunity to outline the position regarding the provision of respite services in counties Cavan and Monaghan.

The Government’s ongoing priority is the safeguarding of vulnerable people in the care of the health service. We are committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives. The need for increased respite services is acknowledged and the HSE continues to work with all service providers to explore various ways of responding to this need in line with the budget available. As part of its ongoing service provision, this year the HSE will provide more than 182,000 respite nights and 42,500 day respite sessions to families in need right across the country.

There has been a significant improvement in respite services this year.

An additional €10 million was provided this year to fund 12 new respite houses. That is one in each HSE CHO area and an additional three houses in the greater Dublin area to respond to the very high demand for respite from this area. These additional houses are providing additional respite for families who need it. Ten houses have opened to date, with the remaining two opening shortly. When fully operational, this will provide 19,000 extra overnights and 2,520 home sharing nights annually. Some €2 million of that extra money is being targeted at alternative respite services. These are practical and important solutions, extended day services, summer camps and Saturday clubs. They are making a difference to families right across the country.

In the context of respite services within Cavan-Monaghan disability services, I am informed by the HSE that Steadfast House has the capacity to provide 1,008 adult respite beds per year. Annalee View Respite Centre, which the Deputy mentioned, has the capacity to provide 910 adult respite beds per year, while St. Christopher’s Disability Centre provides, on average, 730 adult respite beds per year. Annalee View Respite Centre, Cootehill, County Cavan, can accommodate five service users at a time. Respite services in Annalee were recently restricted due to the needs of one person. However, the restriction is now lifted and the service has returned to normal capacity. The number of adult service users continually increases as service users transfer from child to adult services. This impacts on the level of respite existing service users receive. A number of service users have associated mobility needs which mean they can only access downstairs bedrooms. This affects the level of respite they receive. We are acutely aware that families need support to care for their loved ones and, therefore, Government is committed to providing a range of accessible respite care supports for people with a disability and their families.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am glad that the restriction due to the particular needs of the one person he refers to has been lifted and that the service has now returned to normal capacity. Normal capacity is under capacity and that is the bottom line. When the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, met a delegation, along with me, he conceded that there is currently a deficit for respite services for persons with a disability in the Cavan-Monaghan area. Many of those parents across the area, as well as siblings, are very undemanding people. They are understanding that there may, at times, be a cancellation due to a crisis arising for some other family. Far too often, in the past few years, cancellations have been a regular feature in the delivery of the service. It is not acceptable and the people who speak to me are people who understand that services will not be as good as we would all like them to be. They only demand a very basic level of service.

The Minister of State quite rightly refers, as the HSE indicated in written correspondence too, to the growing demand. As people leave the children's services and become young adults, an increasing number of people need these services. Parents, by definition, get older. Many parents ring me or come to see me at the weekend who are really worried about the long-term facilities and services that will be available for their loved one. There is no reason, as a society or a country, we should not provide a basic, decent level of service, which is critical for many vulnerable people. I ask the Minister of State to bring back to his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, the urgent need to ensure that additional investment is put in place in the Cavan-Monaghan disability services and that we have a reasonable service. Nobody is looking for an extravagant service. We are looking for a very basic service. The hard-working, decent people I speak to, who give so much love, care and attention to their family on a 24-hour basis demand very little. The least we could do as a society and an Oireachtas is provide a decent level of respite services for those people.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I accept everything that Deputy Brendan Smith has said. I acknowledge that it is not just his right to raise this issue but his duty as a public representative. Our duty as a collective is to be there to be the voice of these families who do not have the time for the kind of advocacy they wish to do because they are caring full time. Respite is a basic fundamental service that any society should be in a position to provide, never mind a modern, progressive society such as we in Ireland thankfully are. The challenge is to continue to keep that focus on that vulnerable cohort and to ensure that we provide the necessary supports to families who need that respite. While we provide 182,000 respite nights a year, that is all well and good and it is to be acknowledged - I do not think anybody disputes how welcome it is - it clearly it is not enough because of the growing demand across both child and adult services, especially adult, with children moving into them. I will take what the Deputy said back. I welcome the airing that he has given to this issue. I, as a public representative, share his concern and wish to see the service greatly enhanced by all of us working together for the year ahead. I will take on board everything the Deputy has said and be sure to add my voice to that. I will speak with the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, to continue with the development of this service and its provision for those who need it.