20. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the plans in place for additional respite places in Kerry; if St. Mary of the Angels Campus in Beaufort, County Kerry will be considered as a location for a centre of excellence for respite in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47394/26]

I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.

I am acutely aware of the demand for respite services in Kerry and I am informed by HSE South West Disability Services that on receipt of funding, the region has been in a position to significantly invest in respite services in recent years.

Between 2021–2026, respite funding has almost doubled, now totalling approximately €150m for 2026. From 2022 to 2025, overnight respite provision increased by 26%, while the number of day-only sessions more than doubled in the same period.

Budget 2026 provides approximately €3.9 billion of funding to Specialist Disability Services in 2026 with €25m in new development funding for the expansion of respite services nationally.

The HSE National Service Plan 2026 projects that this funding will provide approximately 10,000 additional overnight sessions and 25,000 day sessions across a range of initiatives across the country, to 500 additional adults and children. The full targets for respite provision in the Plan are 175,000 overnight sessions and 91,000 day-only sessions delivered to 7,332 people.

Respite is not always overnight and can be provided in a number of ways including centre based day respite, evening and weekend clubs and individualised supports. Respite is a vital part of the continuum of services for families, potentially helping to prevent out-of-home full-time residential placements, preserving the family unit, and supporting family stability.

HSE South West has been granted national funding for a range of projects which will run throughout the summer of 2026 by our Section 38, 39 and for-profit partners. There are a number of developments in Kerry that I can share.

These include a weekend club for approximately twenty children on a rotational fortnightly basis. Families can choose a morning or afternoon session which lasts for approximately three hours.

Funding approval was received for Kerry Social Farming to deliver Alternative Respite Support to 100 people in Co. Kerry.

Sailing into Wellness is based in Kinsale and during the summer their service is extended to a base in Fenit, Co. Kerry. They work with children age 12 and over, providing therapeutic sailing opportunities for children with disabilities. The service will be available to an estimated eight children in Kerry during the summer holidays.

I understand the HSE is also supporting the GAA in respect of Cúl Camps throughout summer 2026.

Regarding the future use of the St Mary of the Angels campus, as the Deputy will be aware, the campus is not owned by the HSE or the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, rather, it is owned and operated by St John of Gods Community Services Limited.

A working group was created to review and make recommendations on future use of the site. All relevant stakeholders, including people supported and their families are invited to participate in the working group.

At the centre of every discussion and decision made in respect of St Marys of the Angels site and St John of Gods Services will be the people who require specialist disability services. The voices and views of residents are vital as the campus is their home and all potential future opportunities for the campus will be considered as part of this ongoing process.

This Department alongside HSE South West Disability Service will continue to work with service providers and families to ensure additional respite services are developed in the region.