Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I again thank Senator Costello. She is right; it is about communication, but it is also about trust. It is about prioritising this very important issue she has raised because there is huge concern among that group of parents.It is a challenge. There is a significant waiting list for residential services. Demand is extremely high and exceeds what we are currently providing. The Government is working to address these challenges in order to provide people with disabilities with the services they require and their families deserve, including those being care for by ageing parents who, in many cases, require a residential placement.

There are huge challenges in providing residential places for a variety of reasons. It is important that we continue to face those challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff. We also need to examine how we can put in place certainty for individuals and families. The HSE has reported that the changing support needs of current service users is resulting in increased costs for additional adaptation services and that the cost of new residential placements has increased significantly, with the average cost of a new placement increasing year on year by 29% in the past six years. The availability of suitable housing also presents a challenge. I assure the Senator that the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, working with the HSE, is trying to address demand while also putting in place a range of supports, measures and programmes aimed at supporting people with disabilities to remain in the family home and ensure certainty for older family members, in particular.