Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and her Department are aware of the challenges being faced around the delivery of additional capacity in the areas of respite and residential care services. The review of the disability social care demand and capacity requirements to 2032 was published in 2021. An action plan for disability services has been prepared to progress action on the findings developed by an interdepartmental working group. There have been some delays in publishing this draft plan and the Minister of State intends to progress this and have it accelerated so that people will see a clear pathway.

To the families involved, I understand and appreciate the difficulties. The two days of respite care are brilliant insofar as they go but when the 20-year-old son goes in for respite, do not let anyone think for a minute that the parents can relax because they know he will be back in 48 hours. It might be a temporary physical relief but it does not resolve the mental stress that this is causing on loving parents in those situations who do not see any way of dealing with it in the long term, until we get the additional residential places.