Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I wish to raise the issue of respite care services, especially those located in my part of the world. I am sure the Minister of State is very much aware of the matter to which I am about to refer. The lack of respite services is an issue that has dogged our communities and society for a long time. At the beginning of the recession and under another Administration, there was a major cut to respite services. Unfortunately, we have never really restored the services that were lost. In many ways, this is a major issue to which consideration must be given.

I am concerned about the respite care services located in Garrettstown, near Garrylucas. The building in which these services are located is fantastic. It is a massive structure with a great deal of potential. There are more than 20 rooms in the building, which is located at Garrylucas Beach and which looks out on the most scenic part of the world one could ever come across. Currently, it is only open to the general public for four months each year. People come to my constituency office daily and weekly who are seeking respite care services. There is great annoyance that we have such a wonderful building and that it is only open for four months of the year. Families in the area might get access for four nights respite care. The building to which I refer is not open at weekends; it only opens on weeknights. People only have access to the service from Monday through to Thursday. This is a real point of concern. Our community is trying to get this matter onto the agenda. We have a structure with such capacity at Garrettstown Beach which is located in an area in which there is great need. How we can ensure that the service on offer there will be improved? In the longer term, can we move towards the level of service that existed previously? Before the recession and the cuts, the service was open for eight months of the year. As already stated, this has been cut back to four. Even in the winter, it is a lovely location.

This is about a vision for the building. I am sure that the Minister of State is very much aware of the structure to which I refer. It is one of the most wonderful buildings one could ever come across. For it to be closed for two thirds of the year does not make sense. If we could have a coherent plan to tie in the structure, the services, the service provider and the HSE in order to ensure that we can develop what is on offer, then the local community would be a lot better served in the long term. This is a conversation that we need to commence. How can we ensure that structures such as that to which I refer can be developed? In many ways, it is about trying to rejig and work on respite services. The Minister of State might agree that experiencing the dilemma of trying to access services is very stressful for families. The families in question do so much for our community and all they are seeking is a little more help. Four nights of respite care given to a family for one year is really not sufficient when one takes into consideration the great work they do on behalf of the State and the Government.

I put it to the Minister of State that perhaps we might look at developing a long-term plan and that we might work to ensure that the building and the project are included in that plan in order to ensure the extension of respite services and, more importantly, that the building will be utilised during the entire year.