Donegal respite services
Deputy Scanlon describes family difficulties and says a respite facility in Donegal has taken over a year to complete, with only a Monday-to-Friday service initially planned.
Last Monday evening, I attended a meeting in Donegal on respite services. More than 100 parents gave personal accounts of the difficulties faced by their families. Those people have been waiting for a respite facility to be completed for more than a year. I understand the facility is to open on 13 January 2020. We had a similar situation in Sligo, but thankfully that facility is now open. The issue is that the service provided is for five days from Monday to Friday. People do not look for much but they need a weekend service. That is when they need help and support to allow them to have a break and some quality of life. It is important for their sanity and that of their families. Midweek is no good; there should be a seven-day service. There is a seven-day service throughout the country. Why are the people of Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal been victimised by not being treated the same as everybody else?