Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for selecting this matter and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, for coming to the House to discuss it. There is a problem with the provision of respite care for adults with mental disabilities in the Ballina area of County Mayo. The service is provided through a service level agreement between the HSE and Western Care Mayo.

I will preface my remarks by pointing out that where the service has been available it has been good and people were happy with it. However, a problem arose last March. There was a safeguarding emergency which meant that current service users could not avail of the service because it had to be provided to a particular person on account of the safeguarding emergency that arose. Unfortunately, the service does not appear to have resumed or returned to normal.

There also appears to be a problem with information feeding back to the families of the dependent adults on when a normal service will resume. Between 40 and 43 adults in the Ballina area received the service in 2016, so it is important for the families. These adults are often in the care of their parents and the respite care provides a break for the dependent adults and their families. The fact that the service has been disrupted is also a cause of concern because many of these dependent adults have anxiety problems or suffer from autism. They need regularity of service and to avoid disruption.

Aside from the delay and disruption in the service for the people who had been receiving it, the other aspect to this is the number of dependent adults who have been waiting for this service, which I have been unable to ascertain. One family described their situation to me. When their child reached 18 years, the age of majority, they were sent to adult services, but they have been on a waiting list for four years and have not received respite care for that period. I am also aware of another case, although I cannot say if the waiting period is as long as four years.

I have put questions to the HSE management and to Western Care Mayo but I received no satisfactory answers, which is why I asked that the Minister come to the House today.Quite a number of the families are anxious, as are the adults involved. The least we could do is to provide a service. The Minister of State would have to agree that four years is an inordinate length of time for anybody to have to wait for this very important service. The Minister of State might be able to shed some light on a number of the questions I have raised and give clarity as to how soon the service might resume.