Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. It is very positive news. I congratulate and thank the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, Deputy Rabbitte, and the officials for pulling out all the stops to ensure we have an adult respite service in County Louth. However, it would be remiss of me not to ask for more while I have the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in front of me. We have this facility in north Louth. I ask the Minister of State to bring back to her colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, the need to look into opening a second respite service in County Louth. It may be the smallest county - the wee county - but it has the two largest towns in the country and a population of more than 130,000 people. All present know there is a significant need for adult and child respite services throughout the country. I hope that ask will go to disability services in CHO 8 to review and consider possibilities for a respite service in south Louth, given its catchment area close to County Meath and north Dublin. There is large geographic scope for another respite service in the south of the county.