Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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435. To ask the Minister for Health if additional funding will be provided to the Health Service Executive, specifically to address the deficit in funding for home sharing and respite services; if his attention has been drawn to the huge difficulties experienced by families who have no respite services or have had their services cut as a result of across the board budgetary constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18143/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The vision for the Health Service Executive's (HSE) Disability Services Programme is to contribute to the realisation of a society where people with disabilities are supported, as far as possible, to participate to their full potential in economic and social life, and have access to a range of quality personal social supports and services including respite care to enhance their quality of life.

Respite care for children and adults with disabilities is provided by the HSE directly in some instances, or by agencies funded by the HSE to provide services on its behalf. In many instances respite services are part of the overall suite of services provided by voluntary service providers to people with disabilities under their service level agreements with the HSE. The HSE remains committed to working with all voluntary disability service providers to ensure that all of the resources available for specialist disability services, including respite services, are used in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

The HSE’s Social Care Operational Plan for 2015 aims to provide 190,000 overnight stays in centre-based respite services to almost 5,300 people. The HSE is also committed to continuing to explore methods of community respite care as an alternative to centre-based respite care, including advancing the Host Family Support Model.

In relation to the specific queries raised by the Deputy, as these are service issues, they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, he can contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.