Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Mar 2000

Vol. 517 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Mrs. T. Ahearn

A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I thank you for allowing me to raise this important issue. Respite care is normally debated in general terms in the House. However, I wish to focus on one child in regard to this issue. The Minister of State will be alarmed when I explain the situation regarding respite care in south Tipperary. Two years ago the Brothers of Charity, with financial assistance from the Department of Health and Children, bought St. Rita's in Clonmel to provide respite care for children with disabilities. Nobody will believe me when I tell them that the accommodation is only used every second weekend due to a shortage of funding, staff and other resources. The Minister of State will surely agree that this is illogical, does not make sense and is very unfair to those who are in dire need of respite care.

It is amazing that this is the only facility in south Tipperary for many children who need such care. The illogical decision to provide money for the accommodation but not for its use does not make sense in this time of plenty. Millions of pounds are available for leisure facilities but where are the few thousand pounds needed to keep this facility open for parents and children in Clonmel? I have tremendous admiration for the South Eastern Health Board and the Brothers of Charity, who are trying to meet the acute demands that are made by parents but cannot do so because of a lack of funding.

I focused on one individual to put a human face to this issue. I do not want a reply which will inform me about the millions allocated in the budget. This case reflects what is happening on the ground. Over the past 14 months the child involved has received respite care on 28 nights together with two weeks holidays in August, to which everybody is entitled. The parents of that child have received £382 to care for the child over that period. We can take everything for granted. We can attend a friend's wedding, the graduation of a family member or a leaving certificate mass for a child. However, parents awaiting respite care in south Tipperary do not know until the last minute whether they can attend such important family functions because of the lack of respite facilities.

The few facilities which are available operate on a crisis basis. If one has a crisis, one may be lucky enough to receive care. It is a disgrace for the Government to allow the situation to develop as it has in south Tipperary in regard to respite facilities. I seek funding for St. Rita's so that it can remain open full time. I also demand a co-ordinated, regulated and consistent agenda for respite care in south Tipperary. Parents should know that at least one weekend a month they can attend to family matters and share time with their children and each other. We are not looking for much. I want a system through which parents of children with disabilities will know exactly where they stand and that their child will receive one weekend of respite care per month. That is not too much to ask. Parents consistently must make last minute arrangements and are denied the opportunity to look forward to anything because the funding is not provided by the Department for respite services and staff which are urgently needed.

Dr. Moffatt

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter, although I am surprised at her comments on St. Rita's, Clonmel. The former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, was complimented by the national association when he visited the centre on the amount of work he had done in this sphere. Since the Government took office the development of services for persons with an intellectual disability has been a priority within my Department. Substantial additional funding towards the development of these services, totalling £53 million, had been allocated up to the end of 1999. However, I am aware that more needs to be done.

As a result, the Government is committed to meeting the identified needs within a defined timeframe of three years beginning with a major acceleration of investment, both capital and revenue, in 2000. The additional revenue funding to be allocated in 2000 is designed to support the development of additional services, including respite services, with an annual cost of £35 million. This funding is in addition to the £10.7 million already allocated to the services in 2000 to meet the full year costs of the 1999 developments and identified needs in existing services. The funding is enabling the health boards to provide, at a minimum, 555 new residential places; 185 new respite places; 700 new day places; health related support services for persons with autism; the continuation of the programme to transfer persons with an intellectual disability from psychiatric hospitals and other inappropriate placements; and additional specialist and other support services.

With regard to services to persons with physical and sensory disabilities additional funding totalling just over £67 million has been provided for the maintenance and development of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities since the Government took office. A total of £80 million in capital investment will be provided between 2000 and 2006.

As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of services to persons with disabilities in the south Tipperary region is a matter for the South Eastern Health Board. With regard to intellectual disability services, £2.34 million in revenue funding was allocated to the health board from the overall budget available in 2000. This rises to £2.84 million full year cost. It is anticipated that this will enable the board to provide new services, including 50 new residential places, 20 new respite places and 30 new day places.

I understand from the health board that in 1999, 51 families in south Tipperary availed of respite within the intellectual disability services. As the Deputy will be aware, numerous agencies provide respite services for children and adults with an intellectual disability in the region. In addition, the board provides families with home support services which offer a flexible service to allow for breaks and-or extra help in the home.

In terms of the provision of new respite places in 2000, I understand that the health board is in the process of finalising the details of the services to be provided and will submit these to my Department in the near future. The health board was allocated £697,000 this year for development of services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. Pending the development of further purpose-built respite facilities the board also uses nursing homes for respite care on an ad hoc basis. Funding has been provided by the health board this year to the Irish Wheelchair Association and Tullow Cheshire Home for new respite places in Kilkenny and Tullow.

In relation to the case outlined by the Deputy, I understand that the individual concerned is currently in receipt of respite services in Brothers of Charity services in Clonmel and St. Patrick's Centre, Kilkenny. The health board is endeavouring, in consultation with the family in question, to arrange for an appropriate future service and is currently in discussion with various agencies in this regard. However, I will bring the Deputy's remarks in regard to St. Rita's to the Minister's notice.

Mrs. T. Ahearn

I thank the Minister of State.