Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I welcome an tAire Stáit and thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise on the Adjournment the issue of respite care beds in St. Laurence Cheshire Home in Cork.

There is an ongoing difficulty between the HSE and St. Laurence Cheshire Home, where there has been a reduction from three to one in the number of respite care beds. This has serious implications for 28 individuals — the clients of the service — and their families. Families which were, in some cases, in receipt of four to five periods of respite care are now in receipt of one. The HSE has said to St. Laurence Cheshire Home and the families concerned that it is a question of funding and that the beds are there but that it does not have the resources to provide the necessary staff.

I will not give the Minister of State, who is sympathetic to the issue, a lecture on the positive impact of respite care. That is not what I am here for. We need to support the families. If we are serious about reducing dependency on long-stay care beds, we need to adequately resource respite care.

I understand there was a meeting yesterday between St. Laurence Cheshire Home and the HSE and that there has been some tick-tacking. To my knowledge, no undertaking has been given as to when resources will be provided for staff. I have been led to believe the HSE has asked St. Laurence Cheshire Home to reinstate the beds but no guarantee has been given.