Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2023
61. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of beds, in tabular form, in each unit, in each LHO, assigned for respite for relatives of families aged 18 years and older; and the cost per centre and staff allocated per centre of respite, in tabular form. [32059/23]
View answerThe Health Service Executive and its funded Agencies provide respite care to children and adults with disabilities. Respite can occur in a variety of settings for various lengths of time, depending on the needs of the individual service user and their family or carer, and according to available resources.
There has been increased investment in Respite Services over the last number of years to provide for additional capacity, including new overnight beds. In 2022, 131,057 overnights and 28,369 day only sessions were accessed by people with a disability. The figures include both children and adults.
The cost per centre and the staff allocated per centre of respite varies according to several factors. This includes considerations such as number of beds, number of service users, occupancy levels, the specific needs requirements of the service users and the staff required to meet those residents’ needs.
The annual running cost (revenue cost) of a 4-bed overnight respite centre, operating at 7 days a week, is in the range of €770k to €1.03 million approximately, depending on level of service user complexity.
In line with HIQA standards, privacy, rights and dignity, most of the accommodation facilities in respite centres consist of one bedded rooms. In some centres, there may be one that will enable the provision of respite services to family members, for example a sibling.
The information the Deputy is seeking in a tabular format is not readily available due to the number and different characteristics of providers involved.
However, both HSE and the Department have been working on enhancing data and our understanding around respite capacity. A more comprehensive briefing containing information currently available can be provided to the Deputy.
