I was contacted this week by Thomas Barry regarding his brother, who has serious health issues and has been in hospital for more than two years and in and out for over five years while waiting on permanent residential care. This will be Thomas's brother's fourth Christmas in St. James's Hospital if a residential placement is not secured for him. He frequently leaves the hospital and makes his way home, causing much anxiety for himself and his family. Gardaí are frequently asked to intervene. I received a response from the disability services that states "mental health services have agreed to work with us around sourcing an accommodation solution that will enable him to live away from the family home with appropriate supports". That is dated 19 August 2020, and he is still waiting for that permanent care. I am asking for an intervention at the highest level to ensure this young man gets a permanent placement in residential services as soon as possible.

I am sorry to hear about this man’s experience and that of his family. As the Deputy will understand, it is not within the power of a Minister to intervene to allocate people housing or residential care. This is not how the system works, and I am not sure it would be fair if politicians were the ones who decided who got residential care and who did not.

The HSE has not done it for two years.

If the Deputy passes on the details, we will definitely follow up on it and will be happy to. Again, I do not want to create the impression that Ministers allocate housing. That is not the case.