Respite care shortage
Michael Moynihan said respite services for families of people with intellectual disabilities were effectively unavailable for the rest of the year after brief use early in 2019. The Taoiseach said extra funding had been allocated for respite centres and would ask a minister for a fuller reply.
I raise the issue of respite care. In the programme for Government and on many occasions since many commitments have been given on respite care. A service is simply not available. Families who have members with intellectual disabilities have been told by service providers that if they have already received a respite care service over a weekend or for two or three days in 2019 - this is only the second week in April - there will be no further service available to them for the rest of the year. It is absolutely disgraceful and nobody is taking the matter seriously. We are facing a massive crisis. Elderly parents are trying to look after loved ones, particularly children, as best they can and crying out for respite care, but a service is simply not available.
Comment on this
None of the four members of the ministerial team in the Department of Health is present, but I understand an additional €10 million has been allocated-----