Covid has had a devastating impact on services for people with disabilities and dementia. Many people who were receiving a full week's support prior to the pandemic are now only receiving one or two days of services per week. The sector has warned that this is because it does not have the additional funding to restore services to full capacity with the Covid protocols in place. Last night, the Opposition tabled a cross-party motion to ensure that these services are able to reopen fully and offer the support that is due to our citizens with disabilities, their families, their carers and others who provide the services.

I have been contacted by hundreds of families who have spoken of their frustration and distress as they have seen their loved ones regress and deteriorate without these services. I have no doubt that Deputies across the House have had similar conversations over the past few months. The scale of this crisis was reflected in the debate last evening where Deputies, including Government Deputies, expressed their genuine concerns. Many families have asked me to share their experiences and stories with the Taoiseach, and so I will.

One mother tells it as follows:

Everybody seems to have forgotten the children and adults who have disabilities. They have been left at home with no consistency or backup. As a parent of an adult daughter with disabilities, I have found it really challenging and wanted to run away at times, but could never do it. But having nothing to look forward to is working backwards for us. She has nothing to occupy her or no possibility of seeing her friends or anyone she can identify with. I've found it hard but she can't put her feelings into words to explain how she is. And I'd say every parent or carer feels the same. We're all but forgotten about.

Another says: "We are on the floor. They aren't helping us family carers or our children or adults with disabilities whatsoever."

Another person writes: "Vulnerable people with disabilities and their carers need supports. We are on the ledge at this stage and we feel very neglected by this government."

Another mother says:

My son turns thirty next year. His whole life has been a constant battle with governments and the HSE for basic supports. As parents, we are constantly fighting for supports and funding. It is draining but it looks like I will again have to fight non-stop to get my son the services he needs.

Another writes:

Lost, abandoned, confused and frustrated is what my son and I feel on a daily basis. He is still at home since the 12th of March. I’ve watched him regress. His anxiety and frustration rise to levels I’ve never seen before. His world is standing still and is nothing changing. We need support and life to resume.

Another person told me: "It was extremely difficult emotionally and physically ever before Covid-19 but now we are on our knees altogether."

To sum up, another said: "Those with disabilities and their families are being swept under the carpet. We are the forgotten people of the Pandemic."

That makes for hard reading and for hard listening but that is it; the unvarnished reality of people's lives without these services. They are "on the ledge", "on the floor", and on their knees. It is now time for the Government to step up and do what is right. I listened to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and to Deputy Michael Moynihan, as they described how they have to fight for every cent of funding for disability services. It should not be so.

I thank the Deputy.

I appeal to the Taoiseach that we would work together on this issue, all of us - the Government and the Opposition - to ensure that disability services get the adequate funding that they require in the budget next week.

First, I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I accept that many families and many people with special needs and disabilities have had an extremely stressful and tough time during this pandemic with the withdrawal of services and the curtailment of services because specific Covid-19 health requirements have made the circumstances and conditions very stressful. I acknowledge that it is on top of additional stress that was there already. Throughout my political life I have worked hard on the disability issue, in particular in regard to special needs education. I am determined to make sure that we do everything we possibly can to alleviate the pressures that families and people are currently operating under.

Covid-19 has not made this easy. A three-phase plan has been outlined for the resumption of adult day services. Additional funding has been allocated to that plan to enable services to resume. There will be further difficulties and constraints now because of the fact that we have moved to level 3 and the pandemic case numbers are growing, which will make this particularly challenging.

The budget is next week. Disability and the need for additional funding has been discussed by the Government. I know the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, is particularly conscious of this, as are the Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Deputy Rabbitte, the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly and as is the wider Government on the need to do this.

Day services have reopened at 40% capacity throughout August and early September. That said, that is still far short of what people require and need. We are also very conscious of the need to provide support for specific packages and intensive support packages for young adults with complex or high-support needs to remain at home and in their communities. A total of €2.5 million in additional funding is being provided to enable some 210 intensive support packages to be provided. These will be person-centred and tailored to the needs of individuals and their families.

In addition, there will be constant engagement between the HSE and the service providers to make sure that there is a clear understanding about what is required and the need to provide the funding, while ensuring that the services can be restored in line with the Covid restrictions. Approximately €484 million was allocated to day services in 2020. Additional costs have arisen for service providers in the provision of safe services. That has been acknowledged by the Government and we will respond to that. School-leavers who require a day service have been introduced to a new service during September and ring-fenced resources have been provided to facilitate that as part of the HSE's national service plan.

In terms of children's disability services generally, we will continue to try to reopen them across all areas and to put in place the appropriate arrangements to resume assessment of need and intervention therapy services in line with public health guidance. In addition, short-stay residential and emergency residential respite began to reopen in July and August as the first stage in a three-phase plan. Activity is now increasing for the next two phases, namely, the September to November phase and then the phase from December to February 2021. The budget is important in terms of making sure that we provide additional adequate resources to all involved in disability services. We are working on that between now and the budget and also between now and the end of the year to see what additional resources we can provide to the service providers to enable them to reopen services consistent with public health safety requirements.

There is an absolute desperation in the experiences that I have shared with the House. The forgotten people of this pandemic are "on the ledge", "on the floor", "on our knees". This is how citizens with disabilities, their families, carers and service providers feel. The moneys that have been allocated are just not enough. I raise this, not to have an argument with the Taoiseach but out of a sense of desperation because of the desperation of citizens with disabilities, the sons and daughters of the people whose experiences I recounted. What are we doing if we cannot cater for that now? There has been a lot of talk about whether we are in this together. This is the litmus test. I think the Taoiseach and I can agree on that. I appeal to the Taoiseach-----

I thank the Deputy. The time is up.

I appeal to the Taoiseach that we do not see again crumbs from the table when budget day comes. The case has been made to the HSE. The business cases, as they are called, have been lodged. A very full explanation of what is needed has been made. I ask the Taoiseach, as Head of Government, on all of our behalf, to make sure that on budget day those very resources are delivered.

I am determined to do what is required to provide for disability services for all ages. There are very substantial challenges. The new Government has been in office for three months. When I was a Minister in previous Governments, I made it my business to go above and beyond and to do something specific and extra for disability services, particularly in the areas of education and health. I am determined that the Government will respond in a comprehensive way to the needs of the disability sector. In addition to that, we need change and reforms within the sector. It seems to me that several service providers are in difficulty and some are moving out of the sector. That needs fundamental change as well. Resourcing will be provided, but we also need to look at the model of provision into the future. In my view, the State must take a stronger role in terms of the provision of such services. That is not casting aspersions on any particular service providers. As society evolves, there is a need to modernise our approach to the provision of services. I acknowledge that will require resources additional to the more than €2 billion that is currently allocated. I am prepared to work with all concerned, including all Members of this House, to identify the issues and deal with them in a comprehensive way.