Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I will finish on this important point and beg the Leas-Chathaoirleach's indulgence.

A lady of 74 years, who is mother of a child named Patrick with special needs wrote that while she cared for him full-time, she had been staying in Portiuncula Hospital since last June and did not know how much longer she would be there. She depends on her daughters to look after him, one of whom lives in Kerry and the other in Birr. However, for personal reasons, her daughters would be unable to care for him in the following week. As her son has Prader-Willi syndrome, he needs full-time residential care with supervision and she concluded with the hope that I would give the matter my immediate attention.

Her daughter also wrote in connection with her brother Patrick. She noted that her mother was in full-time care in hospital and might be there for some time. While she and her sister had taken care of Patrick, they have families of their own and have been obliged to spend much time away from their homes. They are unable to give Patrick the full care he deserves. She noted that while he attends Creagh day care centre, she and her sister live in Birr and Kerry, respectively, and it was not always possible to reach him at the centre. They find themselves in an impossible situation and need all the help they can get.

This is from a hospitalised lady of 74 years, with an adult son in need of full-time care, which is unavailable. However, it was available before. Therefore, I reiterate my request that immediate action be taken to release the resources necessary to the Brothers of Charity and the other centres in Ballinasloe to provide the services for the young and adult people who are in need.