Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 4 Oct 2012

Vol. 217 No. 8

Adjournment Matters

Emigration Data

Senator Mark Daly

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Emigration is the most pressing issue in Ireland. The CSO indicates that 87,100 people emigrated from Ireland between April 2011 and April 2012. This harks back to the worst days of the 1950s, when 1,000 people a week left our shores.

In addition to this brain drain of the best and brightest of our youth, the level of youth unemployment reached 40% last year. Unemployment rates climbed as high as 50% among those aged between 15 and 24 years in Limerick city and County Donegal. The census revealed that 82,000 people under the age of 25 years were out of work. An entire generation of highly educated and motivated people face a drastic choice between emigration or unemployment at home. The Government's pre-budget initiatives and the famous jobs initiative promised much, but they have had little impact on the live register in respect of those under the age of 25 years. All around Europe huge numbers of young people are unemployed and today the President of the European Parliament stated youth unemployment was Europe's biggest issue. Despite this, the Government's promises have not materialised and the jobs plan became an initiative. Where are we going from here and what is the real plan to reduce historically high rates of emigration and deal with the issue of youth unemployment?

Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy John Perry)

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. The statistics released by the CSO last month reveal that just over 87,000 people emigrated from Ireland last year, of whom almost half were non-Irish nationals. Many of these non-Irish nationals are likely to be individuals who came to Ireland in search of work in the previous decade and are now either returning home or moving to another country to take advantage of new opportunities in the globalised economy.

An analysis of the CSO figures shows that almost 53,000 people came into Ireland last year, with 39% of them being Irish nationals returning home. Many of those who previously emigrated in search of work are coming home having gained skills abroad. We can now capture that expertise to strengthen the operation and management of companies based here. We must remember that emigration has been a consistent feature of Irish life. Even during the Celtic tiger years, Irish people chose to emigrate for career or personal reasons. Nevertheless, the Government is committed to ensuring emigration returns to being an option rather than a necessity.

I wish to remind the House of the position the Government inherited when it came into office. Some 300,000 jobs had been lost in the three years prior to March 2011. Our banking system had all but collapsed. We were in the middle of a worldwide economic downturn. Transformational and structural change has been required to rescue our economy from this situation. We had become too dependent on a small number of sectors to support our economic performance. This approach was neither wise nor sustainable. The new economy we must build will be based on enterprise, innovation and exports. In promoting this transformation, the Government will have to make progress on a number of fronts, for example, by improving our competitiveness, ensuring businesses have better access to finance, embedding a jobs agenda in the fiscal consolidation which must be carried out, and taking action to facilitate growth in every sector. We have introduced the annual action plan for jobs to ensure these requirements are delivered to support the creation of employment by the enterprise sector. We have developed the Pathways to Work initiative to transform our engagement with those who are unemployed.

The progress we have made in our first 18 months in office has been encouraging, but there is a long way to go. Despite the very difficult domestic and external economic environment, we are beginning to see the positive impact of the Government's policies. There was an increase of 6,000 jobs in IDA-supported companies in 2011. This compares with net losses of 15,000 jobs between 2008 and 2010. So far this year, the IDA has announced investments that have the potential to create over 6,000 further jobs as the projects come on stream. It was announced this morning that 30 jobs with Hittite Microwave Corporation are coming to Cork. It was announced yesterday that 44 new jobs with Aspen Pharmaceutical are coming to Dublin. The number of jobs in Enterprise Ireland companies started to grow in 2011 for the first time in three years. In the first eight months of 2012, a total of 4,669 job commitments over the next three years, linked to Enterprise Ireland approvals to client companies, have been secured.

We are seeing a stabilisation in the level of private sector employment, particularly in areas targeted by the Action Plan for Jobs. For example, employment in the tourism sector increased by 6,300 in the period between June 2011 and June 2012. This growth was supported by the measures taken by the Government in cutting VAT rates and reducing by half employer's PRSI on earnings up to €356 per week. Employment has also increased in the agriculture, accommodation food services and information and communications technology sectors. This underscores the shift in activity away from the old failed economy, which was based on property, banking and debt, towards a new sustainable economy that is based on enterprise, exports and innovation. Furthermore, we are creating and maintaining links with Irish people who have left the country. We have always had a good relationship with the diaspora. We have been able to build on our relationships with those who have reached the top levels of companies across the globe. We have now formalised this process of engagement through the Global Irish Network. At home, we will continue to do all we can, through initiatives like the action plan for jobs and Pathways to Work, to facilitate the return to work of those who have lost their jobs and provide opportunities for all those who want to stay here.

Senator Mark Daly

What happened the NewERA plan? The Taoiseach said in May 2010 that it would create 105,000 jobs. I am concerned about the brain-drain. We are sending highly-educated young people abroad. I will give an example of the Government's lack of joined-up thinking. I would like to hear the Minister of State's view on it. The Government's internship programme has been made available to the public, semi-State and private sectors, but it is not available in Leinster House. We are not giving graduates an opportunity to see our Parliament from the inside, and make changes to it, under the JobBridge scheme. The point I am making to the Minister of State is that we are not leading by practical example in our Parliament. The Government initiative is supposed to give graduates an opportunity to stay in Ireland and engage meaningfully with-----

Acting Chairman (Senator Susan O'Keeffe)

The Deputy should ask a clear question.

Senator Mark Daly

What happened the 105,000 jobs that were promised? What happened the jobs initiative and the jobs plan? It was forecast that 80,000 jobs would be created. What happened them? How can we keep our young people in Ireland? The numbers of jobs mentioned by the Minister of State in his reply are not of the scale that was promised.

Deputy John Perry

The scale of the job losses before we came into government was immense. There are opportunities for small companies. Some extraordinary companies are creating jobs every day. We must recognise the roles of small and medium-sized enterprises and foreign direct investment. Significant announcements have been made by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. The backdrop we inherited has meant that our job has been very difficult. It is important to note that additional jobs have been announced by IDA Ireland since we came into Government. In 2011, the number of jobs in IDA-supported companies increased by 6,000. This compares with net losses of 15,000 jobs between 2008 and 2010. I mentioned the job announcements that were made by Hittite Microwave Corporation and Aspen Pharmaceutical in recent days. The number of jobs in Enterprise Ireland companies increased in 2011 for the first time in three years. Some 4,669 job commitments linked to Enterprise Ireland were made in the first eight months of 2012. It is a very difficult job.

The Deputy mentioned that 87,000 people emigrated from Ireland last year. I remind him that almost half of them were non-Irish nationals who were going back. They might have come here during the boom years to work in the construction sector. It should also be borne in mind that 53,000 people came into Ireland last year. The global economy gives people opportunities to go to the UK or the US. Many young people like to travel when they are educated. They like to see the opportunities that exist for them. Many of them come back into the economy again after they have had their experiences. It is very much a global world. There is no comparison with the 1950s. People are highly educated and skilled now. They have the ambition to travel to New Zealand, Australia or the US. I am confident that the Government's plan of action will ensure there is a bright future of many opportunities for them in this country when they feel like returning home. I see the emergence of such opportunities on a daily basis as I do my job at the small company desk. Extraordinary companies in the high-tech, information and communications technology, health care and life sciences sectors are achieving extraordinary things every day and week of the year.

Leader Programmes Administration

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Tá go leor ceisteanna le cur faoi feidhmiú an chláir Leader sa Ghaeltacht, atá á ardú agam inniu. Tá a fhios againn gur imigh Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta Teoranta as feidhm in 2011. Tá go leor ceisteanna faoi sin freisin. Bhí roinnt clár faoi scáth Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta, an clár forbartha tuaithe agus an clár forbartha áitiúil ina measc. Ó shin i leith, tá sé de chúram ar an Roinn socruithe a dhéanamh maidir leis na cláir seo sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. Cá seasann an próiseas sin faoi láthair? Tá sé ag tógáil cuid mhaith ama. D'ardaigh mé an cheist seo go minic leis an Aire ó thús na bliana. An fhadhb atá ann ná go gcuirfidh na socruithe atá le déanamh, dé réir mar a chloisim, sórt gunna le cloigne na gcomhlachtaí atá ag plé leis na cláir seo. Tá na comhlachtaí teagmhasacha, nó cineál comhlachtaí béaldorais, tar éis conarthaí a fháil leis an gclár Leader a chur i bhfeidhm sa Ghaeltacht. Tá dhá chuid sa chlár Leader. Níl a fhios ag cuid de na tograí a bhí faoi scáth Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta cén seasamh nó stádas atá acu agus na conarthaí nua le tabhairt amach. Cá seasann an clár Leader?

Tá daoine amuigh ansin atá ag fanacht leis an airgead.

To summarise, the Leader programme has been handed to next door neighbour or contiguous companies to the Gaeltacht because of the demise of Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta, MFG. The programme itself has been in limbo in the Gaeltacht for the past year, since MFG fell by the wayside. There are legacy issues with regard to the programme and quite a number of projects have been left in limbo. A number of people involved in those projects have contacted me over the past year. For example, one community group in Donegal contacted me because it is €60,000 in the red with the bank. It has paid €4,500 interest on that loan in the past year, on moneys due to it from Leader. That group does not know where it stands. Another group which does not mind me putting its name on the record, Ionad Cultúrtha Baile Bhúirne, is in a similar position. It is owed €9,000 for a staidéar feidireachta or feasibility study for which it paid and which was to be paid from Leader funds. However, it has not received its moneys. I have also spoken to a number of individuals who had Leader projects who have been left high and dry. They were given part payment and had taken out loans or paid for services and goods, but have not received their funding from the Leader programme.

I believe two contracts are being offered to the contiguous companies to ensure the Leader programme continues. One is for the Leader project from now onwards. We need this to go ahead as soon as possible so that people can make applications and avail of and draw down the Leader funding so that it is spent in time. However, I am told that the gun is also being put to their head and that the contiguous companies must also sign a contract to take responsibility for all the legacy projects. They are not comfortable with that, because there is no sense of what is in the folders or whether the paper work has been done properly etc. I do not blame them for that.

Where do the people concerned stand? It is very unreasonable of the Department to force them into this situation and they should be allowed get on with the current Leader projects. The Department has had over a year to find some kind of a solution, legal or otherwise, to resolve the issues around the legacy projects which have been left in limbo. This is a hugely important issue. It is important on a personal level for all those involved in the projects. They need answers because they are being hounded by banks for moneys owed. It is unfair to leave them in that position.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus tá súil agam go mbeidh freagra dearfach aige dom.

Deputy John Perry

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. The Leader initiative was established by the European Commission in 1991. It was designed to aid the development of sustainable rural communities under the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. Leader II, which commenced in 1994, extended the programme to all rural areas in Ireland and was delivered by 34 groups. While Leader I was a pilot initiative, Leader II was designed to complement the strategy for rural areas in the national development plan for 1994-99. In addition to an increased level of funding and coverage of all rural areas, emphasis was placed on the acquisition of skills and improved capacity building to ensure the delivery of the business plan for the rural areas. Leader continued in the 2000-06 round of EU funding and operated in all rural areas in the country in that programme period. Since 1994, therefore, all rural areas of Ireland, including all Gaeltacht areas, have been included in the Leader elements of the successive rural development programme.

While initially some 36 groups were contracted to deliver the Leader elements of the current programme round from 2007 to 2013, currently there are 35. Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta, the group contracted by the Department to deliver axes 3 and 4 of Leader in the rural development programme in the Gaeltacht areas, went into liquidation on 7 September 2011, leaving Gaeltacht areas temporarily without access to the programme. Progress in the context of the legal winding up of the MFG is ongoing. In this context, the Department has developed an approach that will facilitate the continuation of the programme in Gaeltacht areas and address the existing rural development programme projects with outstanding claims for payment.

This has proved to be a complex legal process which has taken time to resolve. MFG was a private limited company and it is beyond the remit of the Minister or the Department to direct the business of such a company. The group's liquidation process is ongoing. I acknowledge and regret that the current situation has caused delay to the delivery of the Leader elements of the rural development programme in the Gaeltacht areas. However, this delay relates primarily to the need to ensure the continued effective delivery of projects funded under the rural development programme.

The Department is also responsible for ensuring that any solution is fully compliant with and has the capacity to ensure that all projects are fully compliant with all EU national requirements. The process of identifying the promoters whose projects are at an advanced stage of development has been established and a system of co-operation with local development companies contiguous to the Gaeltacht areas is in place to facilitate the final checking and processing of payment claims in respect of these projects. Hopefully the projects raised by the Senator will be included in that. Many of these files have now been sent to the relevant local development companies, which will be in touch directly with the relevant promoter.

In the context of the delivery of the axes 3 and 4 Leader elements in the rural development programme in Gaeltacht areas in the long term, I can confirm that contracts have been issued to groups which will now formally replace MFG as the delivery mechanism of the rural development programme Leader funding for the Gaeltacht areas of counties Galway, Donegal, Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Meath. The Department is formalising arrangements with the relevant local development companies. While there is a system in place to address the current outstanding commitments in County Mayo generally and future delivery for the Gaeltacht areas of south Mayo in particular, some further work is required to finalise a solution for the remaining areas there. However, I expect a solution will be reached shortly.

Local development companies processing Gaeltacht area projects will be provided with adequate and reasonable administration funding, based on the cost of delivering all outputs under the revised contracts, subject to all applicable regulatory limits and conditions under the rural development programme. The local development companies will provide the Department with projections on these costs so that provision may be made for the additional administrative burden of taking on contracts in the respective Gaeltacht areas. The final solution will see the future delivery of Leader elements of the rural development programme allocated to relevant local development companies. This is a significant step forward. I am confident the Gaeltacht areas of Ireland will be restored to full access to rural development funding in the near future.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

I thank the Minister of State for his response. The outstanding issue and the main point I would like him to bring back to the Minister is that the contiguous companies being granted the contracts should not be held liable for the sins of their predecessor, MFG. As the Minister of State has said, they have not been given some of the files, so they do not know what is or is not in them. It seems very unfair that they are being told they must sign a contract of liability for all of those files and projects, despite not knowing what is involved in them. It is incumbent on the Minister of State to say to the Minister that he should not insist on this. The companies should take on the files and projects and process them as much as possible, but they should not be held liable for any work not done or not done properly by MFG. This would move the process on more quickly and would ensure the people who deserve payments will get them and the programme can move forward quickly.

Deputy John Perry

I will convey those issues to the Minister and ensure he takes note of the Senator's comments with regard to the files and the liabilities. I will stress the Senator's determination to ensure that matter is considered.

Coast Guard Station Closures

Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill

This issue concerns the absolute uncertainty of the future of the Malin Head Coast Guard station. I appreciate the fact that the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, is here this evening, although he does not have direct responsibility for Coast Guard stations. I had hoped the Minister for Transport, Deputy Varadkar, would be here to respond on this issue, but I appreciate he may have other business.

This issue also affects communities in Valentia, Kerry, from where my colleague, Senator Mark Daly, comes. He is working on a campaign in that part of the country. It also affects communities in Donegal and the north west area. The Minister of State may recall that back in 2008 after a long campaign to keep the stations at Valentia and Malin Head open, the then Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, announced that the Government planned to keep Malin Head and Valentia open.

He also pledged to upgrade all three centres, including the centre in Dublin, to the tune of €2.5 million. The Dublin station has now been fully upgraded, as has the Malin Head station, following an investment of approximately €721,000. I understand that Valentia is also to be upgraded.

In 2011, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, for some reason, engaged the consultancy group Fisher Associates, to carry out yet another review, despite the fact that there were numerous previous reviews. I wish to know the cost of that review. The findings of the final report were released on 5 July and one of the recommendations was that the number of rescue stations should be reduced from three to two, with the Malin Head Coast Guard station closing. So far, the Minister has only responded by saying that the recommendations contained in the report are being considered by his Department and that his officials are due to report back to him some time in October. This is creating great uncertainty in Donegal and along the west coast. Historically, Malin Head is the oldest operating radio station in Europe and should be allowed to continue. Why close a station that has operated flawlessly for over 100 years?

It was decided in 2008, following a long and drawn out campaign, that the Malin Head and Valentia stations would be upgraded and kept open. Their future was secured. Work on the Malin Head station was completed in August. That work involved technical, operational and infrastructural developments within the station, which will ensure that it is fully up to standard now and into the future. It seems crazy that after carrying out that substantial work and after the previous Government deciding to secure the future of the Malin Head station, there would be any question surrounding its future. It is equally crazy that yet another consultant's report is being considered by officials within the Department.

The area where Malin Head and Valentia provide their services, with its large number of islands and inlets, has the longest coastline per station coverage in Europe. If the Government reduces the number of centres to two, taking into consideration the Dublin centre, it will result in each centre covering 3,700 km of coastline. That is simply not safe. A British House of Commons select committee recently highlighted the fact that closing coast guard stations along the British coastline led to an increase in the loss of life at sea. We are jeopardising peoples' lives in trying to save a few miserable euro by closing down a coast guard station, after spending €2.5 million on upgrading the three centres we currently have. A report is being considered but a decision was made in 2008 and the Government should not go back on that decision, particularly after an investment in the upgrading of the stations was made. I hope the Minister of State will have some good news.

Deputy John Perry

I thank the Senator for raising this very important issue. I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

As part of the Croke Park agreement, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport engaged a specialist international maritime transport management consultancy, Fisher Associates, to undertake a value for money review of services provided by the Irish Coast Guard, IRCG, and the marine survey office, MSO. These reports were published by the Department on 5 July 2012. The IRCG and the MSO are internal divisions of the Department and are not separate statutory agencies. Taken together, the reports call for a comprehensive integrated programme of work to enhance maritime safety and emergency response services. Among the issues identified by the Fisher Associates review was the need to enhance, as a priority, Ireland's capacity to prepare for and respond to major oil pollution incidents. The review also found that more support is needed for the volunteers in our coastal rescue units, particularly in the areas of improved training courses, oversight and supervision, day-to-day management, risk and quality control. The review found that a significant backlog in transposing legislative provisions into Irish law needs to be addressed, as does Ireland's additional inspection obligations. Furthermore, improved administrative and IT systems are needed to support delivery of services and the development of management and accountability systems across the maritime safety services. The Fisher report concluded that such systems would contribute to alleviating staff shortages and it recommends that realistic fees should be charged for the services provided by the MSO. It also pointed out the need for improved risk management and for periodic reviews and auditing of operational arrangements. The report also calls for improved communications, both internally and with stakeholders and other partners, for enhanced service delivery.

The Minister has informed the Government that the issues raised in the reports will be examined by the Department and that he proposes to present an action plan in October, addressing the deficiencies identified. The issues that have been identified in the report for action are serious and must be addressed, particularly in relation to oil pollution response capacity and volunteer training and management. The Minister has made it clear that he does not propose to accept or reject any of the recommendations in the Fisher report at this stage. Furthermore, no decisions have been taken at this time in relation to these matters. In preparing the action plan, the Department will assess each recommendation and will prioritise actions to address the deficiencies. That process will call for tough decisions to be made. It is important to recognise that resources available to the maritime services are very limited and must be deployed on a prioritised basis and as effectively and efficiently as possible to address the most urgent needs. Having robust and efficient maritime safety regulatory arrangements and emergency response services in place will also be crucial for the development of shipping trade and employment, which have a key role to play in Ireland's economic recovery.

I also take the opportunity to inform the House that new communications systems have been installed in Malin Head centre as part of the general upgrading of the communications systems infrastructure nationally.

Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill

The response is very bleak. Lines such as, "That process will call for tough decisions to be made. It is important to recognise that resources available to the maritime services are very limited and must be deployed on a prioritised basis and as effectively and efficiently as possible to address the most urgent needs," do not read as a vote of confidence in the future of the Malin Head Coast Guard station. Many of my colleagues, from Fianna Fáil and other Opposition parties, as well as some members of the Government parties, have signed a petition calling for the head of the Coast Guard service and the Minister to come before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications to discuss this issue. That needs to happen soon and I believe the meeting is scheduled to take place on 24 October. This situation is urgent and the lack of a clear response from the Minister is disappointing. The Minister should come out at this stage and say, quite clearly, that one of the recommendations of the report is to close down a station but that he is not going to close any station. That is what should be said now, as a vote of confidence in the staff in Malin Head and the service being provided, and as a reassurance to the communities who benefit from that service, year after year, including the young man whose life was saved just outside Convoy this week as a result of the swift actions by the Malin Head Coast Guard station.

Deputy John Perry

The Minister has made it clear that he does not propose to accept or reject any of the recommendations. In preparing the action plan, the Department will assess each recommendation and will prioritise actions to address the deficiencies. This process will call for tough decisions. The Minister also points out that the new communications systems were installed in the Malin Head centre as part of a general upgrading of communications systems.

I would not be overly-pessimistic on this issue.

A report has been produced and it must be studied. When the Minister deals with the report, given the manner in which he does his business, the future position will be clear in respect of the points raised by the Senator with regard to the Coast Guard stations. The points raised are clear and effective and I have no doubt the Minister will take them on board in his final consideration.

Respite Care Services

Acting Chairman (Senator Susan O'Keeffe)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White, on his first time in the Seanad as a Minister of State.

Senator John Whelan

I have the privilege of welcoming the new Minister of State at the Department of Health to the House for the first time in that capacity. I wish him well in his endeavours. He is singularly fit and capable of carrying out his duties and responsibilities.

In the 18 months I have been in the Seanad I have not raised a matter that concerns me as much as this matter before the House. It concerns some of the most vulnerable people in our community, namely, Down's syndrome children and adults. The issue is the arbitrary and unilateral closure and withdrawal of residential respite care for Down's syndrome children and young adults in Mountrath and Abbeyleix in County Laois without anything that comes close to meaningful consultation with the clients or their families. This action has been undertaken by the Muiríosa Foundation based on cutbacks which are not only unjust but grossly misguided. They are morally irresponsible, medically unsound and there is no monetary value or savings associated with them. To date, the Muiríosa Foundation has not been able to indicate what savings will accrue. The move amounts to changing tack and policy. I see it as a farming out of services by the HSE and the Department of Health to what is essentially a private service provider. It is a move towards an American model of service delivery. This would not have occurred under the remit of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary in Moore Abbey, which operated these services before the establishment of the Muiríosa Foundation.

Last Saturday week I attended a rally in Abbeyleix. One would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved and persuaded by the testimonies of the families affected. Fortunately, our society has moved on but in the past, these children and people with intellectual disabilities were hidden behind high walls. Our society and community have moved on from that and now these people are being cared for in their homes and communities where they belong.

As a result of this process there are many instances of elderly parents or parents of advancing years who are trying to cater for and cope with adults with the mind of a child. There are adults ranging from 35 to 55 years of age who have the mental capacity of a young child. One parent approached me whose 35 year old son is in nappies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is the level of need and care these people require.

These families are not looking for much from the State. They are not looking for handouts but merely for some cover or respite one weekend in six, not only for the children and young adults who have autism or Down's syndrome, but for themselves in order that they can recuperate and recover to face the challenges that come with catering for and coping with these challenging behaviours. No one wants to abdicate responsibility. I implore the Minister of State through his good offices and his sense of decency and concern to intervene in this regard.

The agency concerned receives a significant sum, amounting to €40 million, from the HSE to provide services. I realise it has a range of services to provide. However, I would like to think that somewhere within the service level agreement there is a stipulation that it is not possible for the organisation to walk off the pitch without any consultation or concern for these families or to decide to withdraw services in Abbeyleix and Mountrath. This decision is impacting harshly and with distressing outcomes on 90 families.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Alex White)

I thank the Chairman and the Senator for their kind words of welcome. It is a pleasure to be back in this Chamber, albeit in a different capacity. I look forward to a fruitful relationship with colleagues here in the months and years ahead.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter, which I am addressing on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who, as the Senator is aware, has responsibility for this area. A broad range of needs are covered under the heading of respite. For some families, it provides a space away from the continuing and cumulative strain of supporting and caring for someone with significant and complex needs. In other situations, respite enables the child or adult to spend time with friends in ordinary community settings, for example, going for a meal or to the cinema. For other families, respite ensures that a reliable arrangement is in place if they have a family or work commitment that may take them away from the family home for a given period.

The Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, and I are very much aware that respite services form a vital part of the continuum of services for families and help to preserve the family unit and support family stability. We are also aware of the impact the absence of respite service provision can have on other services. However, the health service as a whole must operate within the parameters of funding available to it. Given the current economic environment this is a challenge for all stakeholders, including the HSE, voluntary service providers, services users and their families. If respite services were to be exempt from cost-recovery measures, day services and residential services would have to bear the full burden of the necessary adjustments.

The Senator raised a specific issue relating to the Muiríosa Foundation and Laois Respite Services. The Muiríosa Foundation, like other service providers, is addressing the increased demand on its services within a more restricted budget. The standard response that has evolved in the area of respite is for a professionally staffed, centre-based respite facility to offer an overnight arrangement. Unfortunately, there are significant costs associated with this approach. The current situation in County Laois is that the house at Fountain View, Abbeyleix, which had been providing adult respite during the past decade, has formally ceased offering respite support. However, the house has not been closed. A residential service will continue to be provided at Fountain View but the implications may vary from family to family as a consequence. Some families will retain their current level of access to centre-based respite. Others may secure an increase or decrease in this type of respite, depending on what is appropriate in individual cases. Other families may be directed towards share-a-break options, which are suitable in the case of some individual service users.

I understand that individual families are being briefed on the rationale behind the current changes and the implications for their family member. The HSE has informed the Minister that the Muiríosa Foundation has its full support for the proposed changes, which are aimed at providing the best mix of respite services in County Laois generally. I urge all involved to work together to achieve the most appropriate outcome for each individual involved, having regard to the optimum mix of services that can be provided within the resources available.

Senator John Whelan

I intend no disrespect but that is more or less the same answer I received from the Muiríosa Foundation one month ago and from the Department of Health when I made contact last week in respect of this matter. It does not get to the underlying problem whatsoever. Everyone involved including the families affected know full well about the nature of the cutbacks and the strain on resources.

I caution the Minister of State that the share-a-break model being peddled by the Muiríosa Foundation and its chief executive is fraught with dangers in terms of the health and safety of the clients involved. It puts Down's syndrome children at risk. I implore the Minister of State to use his good offices to discuss the matter with the Muiríosa Foundation. The foundation is only starting to engage with families now after the horse has bolted and the stable door has been closed and that is not the way to do business. This has come like a bolt from the blue for these families.

I understand that no meaningful savings will accrue from what is proposed. The clients are going to end up back in hospital - in institutionalised care - which will cost taxpayers and society a great deal more in the long term. Much of the debate in respect of the delivery of health services in recent weeks has been characterised as a struggle between right and left. I would characterise what is happening in this instance as a struggle between right and wrong. It is wrong to place children with Down's syndrome at risk, particularly in circumstances where savings will not accrue. Consultation has not taken place in respect of this matter. The Government and the Department must realise that unless this matter is resolved through ministerial intervention, those who are affected will end up protesting at the gates of Leinster House.

Deputy Alex White

I will certainly communicate the Senator's concerns on this matter to the Minister. I cannot say anything further about the specific issue to which he refers but I fully appreciate the importance of the point he has made. It is fair to state - the Senator has acknowledged this - that the entire health service is struggling. In the 48 hours that I have been in my new position, it has become clear to me that we are struggling with cost constraints right across the board. Grappling with this difficulty is a daily, if not hourly, preoccupation for everyone involved. The Senator's intervention in respect of this particular issue it very timely and useful. I will ensure that his concerns are communicated to the Minister.

The Seanad adjourned at 4.15 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 9 October 2012.