Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. The Minister thanks Deputy Cahill for raising this important issue and for offering her the opportunity to respond. Respite is a vital support for families and service users and potentially helps prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserves the family unit and supports family stability. In regard to respite services within Kerry, the situation is as follows. HSE south west has made significant additional investment in respite provision in recent years. In 2024, regional health area HSE south west, which extends to the Cork and Kerry area, provided 17,181 respite overnights and 2,833 day-only respite sessions and supported 760 people with a disability.

The type and quantum of respite have been increased each year to meet the assessed needs and preferences of as many people as possible. HSE south west disability services provide a range of respite models for children and adults. These include residential overnight respite centres, after-school clubs for children and young people, in-home respite support for children and adults, outreach day respite supports and holiday breaks for adults. These options ensure that respite is provided in the manner that best meets the needs of people and their families or carers.

Currently, there are approximately 2,800 respite bed nights for children and 4,200 respite bed nights for adults every year. This is of course subject to some variations according to the needs and compatibility of the adults and children availing of these services.

The HSE advises that the number of people a respite centre can accommodate at any given time is not fixed as it varies according to the complexity of clients’ needs. Within each centre, groupings and occupancy are determined by both client compatibility and the level of support required to ensure safe and appropriate care. Within that context, HSE south west disability services confirm that in County Kerry, there have been no unplanned closures of existing adult respite beds at any point during 2025. HSE south west disability services are unable to provide a definitive number of respite beds required in Kerry as the allocation of respite beds is based on a number of different factors, although it is accepted that demand is high. In Kerry, there have been two recent developments in respite provision, one for adults and one for children. The adult north Kerry respite house has been allocated additional funding to enable the service to operate on a full-time basis, seven days a week, to ensure the service is utilised to its full capacity. Additionally, several families have been provided with bespoke respite arrangements to support them in response to specific challenges. In terms of future developments, the HSE is progressing on property purchases for respite and residential services in the Tralee area. Additionally, proposals to the capital plan 2026 have been made by HSE south west disability services to fund a number of new-build residential and respite units.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. We have to do more. These families in Kerry are suffering every single day of the week because of the chronic lack of respite for both children and adults with profound disabilities. They have been let down by the State. We have to help them and if we do not, we are all failures. Obviously, I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach has made disabilities a priority for this Government, and rightly so. The bottom line is that we have to deliver an adequate number of residential respite beds for all the children and adults with disabilities and their families in County Kerry and throughout the country. It is a priority for the Government and the Minister of State is in a position to deliver this. She might speak to my party colleague the Minister for children and disabilities, Deputy Foley, who is well aware of the problem. I have met people on a number of occasions individually and collectively, particularly the mothers. Their stories are harrowing. It is just not fair. What is happening is illegal. It is criminal. They are at the end of their tether. It is 24-7. They do not get a wink of sleep and a lot of them cannot get respite for five, six or seven months. That is a huge crime and we should be embarrassed about it. I am begging the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Government to make sure that an adequate number of respite beds is provided both for under-18s and over-18s. It is something I made a priority when I was elected to Dáil Éireann on the night of 1 December at 10 o'clock. It is hugely important to me. We have many problems with our health service, but this is an area with chronic issues.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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We need to help them. There is a fabulous facility at St. Mary of the Angels in Beaufort. There is already residential care there. There is St. Francis Special School there. There are a lot of facilities. There is a special swimming pool there.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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Thank you, Deputy.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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If I can finish, the land was donated by the Doyle family many years ago for children with special needs and it should continue to serve that purpose.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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Deputy, you are 30 seconds over time.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am begging. I will keep hammering this. I am a member of the health committee.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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Your time is up, Deputy.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I will be raising it again down there shortly and in the disability committee.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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Deputy, please, your time is up, and you are delaying other people who have questions.

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I am begging the Government and the Minister, my own party colleague, to act here, please.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I can see and hear the passion. The Deputy is right that respite is absolutely crucial for families, whether it is children or adults. I thank him for raising this and can assure him the Government is committed to the continued expansion and development of respite services as set out in the programme for Government and the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. To support the HSE in its work to provide and develop respite services in recognition of the importance of support for disabled people and their families, budget 2026 has provided significant additional funding to support respite service expansion in 2026. I assure the Deputy that this is crucial, and I honestly take what he is saying on board. He can be assured I will be talking to the Minister, as I know Deputy Cahill will be as he is her party colleague. I will ask and find out about the HSE's property purchase for respite. I will check that out for the Deputy and make sure that comes back from the Minister's office. HSE south west has advised it is aware of the importance and value of respite. The HSE's 2026 national service plan will provide greater detail on expected delivery for 2026. That is expected to be published in the coming months. I will keep the Deputy updated and I thank him for highlighting this important issue.