Disability respite and residential care
Deputy McGrath said south Tipperary had seen no new residential disability services since 2017 and families and Tusla children needed support. The Taoiseach said major resources had been provided, responsibility lay with the HSE and local services, and he would take up any details forwarded.
The HSE has confirmed to me that there have been no new residential services for people with disabilities developed in south Tipperary since 2017. That means it has been five years since any additional capacity was added to the residential services children with disabilities can be referred to. In the same response, the HSE confirmed that 13 families have requested residential services for their children while there is also a cohort of children in the care of Tusla who will need these services. South east community healthcare is operating with limited resources and is not getting any extra. In this same letter, the HSE confirms that respite services are at capacity and that families requiring urgent respite are waiting longer than six months for a single night. That is an appalling legacy for the Taoiseach. He says he has only been in office for two years but he was involved in a confidence and supply arrangement for five years before that. In fact, he has always been involved because he set up the HSE. That is what we have now.
The Government has failed the children with special needs and it is shocking. Waffling answers are no good. The Taoiseach has money for everything else but has no money for these desperately needed services.
Comment on this
We have provided very significant resources for services for people with disabilities. I do not mean to be facetious, but I do not operate or run every service in every area of the country. There is a responsibility on the HSE and the people working in the local authorities to ensure that the necessary respite care is provided.