Results 1-20 of 978,795 for in 'Dáil debates' OR speaker:Michael Creed in 'Committee meetings'

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Pat Buckley: I thank Deputy Tully for bringing forward this motion. Carers work all year round. They do not get holidays and are not entitled to them according to Family Carers Ireland, FCI. We spoke about this issue at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Autism this morning. The representatives of FCI said that families who have members with autism have additional costs. This works out, on...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Anne Rabbitte: Right.

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: A mother contacted my office this month who was at breaking point. She is a single mum with two sons aged 17 and 14, both of whom have profound intellectual disabilities. She had not had respite since before the pandemic. She thinks December 2019 was the last time she got a break, which was three and a half years ago. It is scandalous that someone has not had a break for this length of...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Anne Rabbitte: Yes.

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am glad the Minister of State agrees with this point, but it is a scandalous situation. In the same response, we were told that HSE Cork Kerry Community Healthcare disability services had received their letter of allocation of new funding under the service plan for 2023. This funding for CHO 4 is less than 50% of the usual annual development funding for this area for respite. There is no...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Pauline Tully: I welcome that the Government is not opposing this motion. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has acknowledged that respite services are not receiving the support they need and rightfully deserve. These are vital services and must be funded adequately. The Minister of State must ensure all respite services are brought back, initially, to pre-pandemic levels, maintain existing capacity...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputies for raising this important motion. I am happy to have the opportunity to discuss the issue of respite services with them this evening. As my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, has already stated, the Government is not opposing this motion on the grounds that we share a desire to see increased respite services for people with disabilities and the loved ones...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Mattie McGrath: I too would appreciate it if you would allow me to express my sympathies and those of my family to Vera Twomey on the death of Ava. They both fought such a battle for life. It just tells us how fickle life is and how some people get the short straw. It has been a constant battle. She had some battle to navigate the political system. It should not have to be like that for the sickest of...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Joan Collins: Before I speak on the motion, I would like to express my deepest condolences and sympathy to Vera, Paul and the family on the loss of their daughter, Ava. We should put that on the record of the Dáil. Last June this House passed a Private Members' motion brought forward by Deputy Connolly. It called on the Government to: - immediately reinstate all respite beds closed as a result of...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I understand that Deputies Michael Collins and Mattie McGrath are sharing time.

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Michael Collins: I beg the Ceann Comhairle's indulgence for a couple of seconds, as I wish to pass on my condolences to Ms Vera Twomey and her family on the death of her daughter, Ava, over the weekend. Vera fought a brave battle for her daughter. Many of us fought that battle with her. She put her blood, sweat and tears into fighting for her daughter's life. Sadly, Ava has passed away. I have stayed...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Seán Canney: I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. Every politician has experience of what is happening in his or her constituency and what is going wrong. We can all keep talking about what is wrong but it is a question of how to find solutions. The Government will tell us money is not the problem; however, if it is not the problem, how come section 38 and section 39 workers are on different...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Peadar Tóibín: I want to mention a tangential issue, namely, the crisis affecting nursing homes at present. The Ministers of State will be aware that nursing homes are closing right across the country and that many are blaming what they call fair deal discrimination. These nursing homes claim funding is insufficient to meet their spiralling inflation costs and the figures bear this out. Recently...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Gino Kenny: I welcome this motion from Sinn Féin. It is very topical, very well thought out and very relevant to issues around respite. I worked in respite for a long time. It is an essential service for service users and families. It is like a home from home. You build friendships with clients and so forth and you really cannot put a price on that development, that friendship, that care and...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Bríd Smith: I thank Sinn Féin for bringing this motion to us. The figures in the motion are stark. Three quarters of families get no respite care at all. In 2022 fewer than 5,200 received a respite service, despite the fact that there are 20,000 people or more with disabilities, including physical and sensory disabilities, or autism who need respite care. Fewer people received respite services...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Holly Cairns: I thank Sinn Féin and Deputy Tully in particular for this important and timely motion, which the Social Democrats fully support. It is another week and another motion on the disgraceful state of our disability services, with another reminder that life is harder, more stressful and more expensive when someone has a disability in Ireland. The motion highlights the unmet need in terms of...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Seán Crowe: We all have cases we could outline to the Ministers of State. The reality is that many families feel burnt out. It was timely that there was a pre-budget submission today from the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland. Its submission stated it was looking for an increase in the annual statutory investment in a centre for people with MS, and right across the board. There is common...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I am always reluctant to become involved in political debate. Deputies can say what they like politically, but an accusation was levelled at a Minister of State - I do not know which of them - of being deceitful. It is not in order, and is contrary to Salient Ruling 416, to accuse anybody or any Member of being dishonest, deceitful or underhanded. Insofar as the two Ministers of State who...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Seán Sherlock: I very much want to be associated with the Ceann Comhairle's words in respect of the two Ministers of State. We will hold them to account but we always seek to be respectful in doing so. I will go back to the Labour Party motion tabled last week, when we specifically raised the issue of assessments of need. I acknowledge the fact the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, gave a commitment in...

Respite Care Services: Motion [Private Members] (30 May 2023)

Brendan Howlin: I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this really important motion on this really important issue that unites this House. There is no division across the House regarding the need. We need, however, to reflect on exactly what we are talking about. We have a very unusual health system in this country. It grew up through voluntary provision, often by religious orders. The State has been...