Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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931. To ask the Minister for Health the details of the locations of the recently announced nine respite houses across Ireland; if he will provide more details in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11827/21]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives.

In Budget 2021, I committed to provide funding to the HSE to develop nine additional respite services across the country. Last week, I was delighted to announce St Gabriel’s Children’s Respite Service, in Limerick, as the first of these services.

€5m funding has been provided to the HSE to develop and open the additional 9 dedicated centre-based respite services across all Community Healthcare Areas this year. I am engaging with the HSE on this matter on an ongoing basis and have requested the HSE to give the utmost priority to putting these new facilities and services in place without delay. The aim is to provide me with regular reports so I can ensure this additional funding is directly targeted at the people who need it most.

I will update my Oireachtas colleagues on the location of these services as they become known.