I am grateful to the Ceann Comhairle's office for the opportunity to raise this issue at short notice. Most Deputies have received correspondence from the Before We Die campaign. There is a notable lack of planning for the situation of adults requiring residential care as their parents approach their later years. There is huge stress, anxiety and worry for those parents as to what will happen to their children. There seems to be a huge lack of planning. We have moved away from decongregated settings but it seems there has to date been a lack of communication and planning between the various agencies, including the HSE and local authorities. I hope that will change. I recently received correspondence from a couple who live in County Kerry asking for help with their son, who is 18 years old and will be leaving school in two weeks' time. He has autism and an intellectual disability and he has been treated very well at his school. However, two weeks from his finishing education, there is no confirmed adult day service for him. This boy has a PPSN and services have been aware of him for the past 18 years. It has been a cause of huge upset for his parents that there does not seem to be any pathway or plan for their son. I am hoping that will change. However, I am not here to discuss his individual case but, rather, the options available in County Kerry. I remember meeting a group of parents when Áras na Féile was closed by HIQA. There were no respite services then available in the north of the county. In the south of the county, in Cahersiveen, there are weekend respite services for adults with an intellectual disability but they are only available on 34 weekends of the year. The facility is there but the funding has not been provided to make it available any more frequently than that. When children with intellectual disabilities become adults, they need a daytime service, confirmation of placement and, as much as anyone else, they need opportunities for social interaction and community participation. I ask that a plan be put in place for day service placements, interim supports, outreach services and an increase in approved respite facilities. More funding is required for all of that, as well as more accountability and transparency in respect of the transition of children to adult services. One parent told me there are very good facilities provided by the Kerry Parents and Friends Association and St. John of God, which provide a busy day structure. A lot of parents feel isolated and experience a huge struggle to access services, whether respite or housing. Housing should be provided by every local authority. Adults should have a place where they can go, backed up by services, and where their parents can be confident they will be looked after, rather than having to wait until the parents pass away. The elements of the overall scheme seem to be very unconnected to each other. I am calling for more adult day service placements, respite and outreach.

Sentiment score: 0.16

I thank the Minister of State for that reply. He clearly has a fair idea as to the extra challenges there are in a county like Kerry. It is not realistic to go from the very north of the county to mid-Kerry, which is at least an hour each way and would be very tiring for adults and children. Speaking to people working within the services, there are 80 plus school leavers in Kerry who will require these services. I note the Minister of State said at the start of the response that systems should be put in place by the end of May. From what I am hearing, this is not always the case but it should be. The anxieties of the Before We Die group could be alleviated by proper planning earlier in their lives. I know of another couple who were so disheartened by the paucity of services available in the Kerry area that they sold their house and moved to Dublin where other members of their family reside because they could not be guaranteed the services. These people have grown up in the county, so it was huge for them to have to move away when they retired to try to access better services for their child. People in the HSE are telling me we need continued investment in day services because there is rising complexity and demand for complex disabilities seems to be increasing. We need multi-annual funding so that they can put the proper plans in place to invest in the services required for the best part of 1,000 people accessing the day services, as well as the 80 plus per year. The HSE needs to forward plan for the day service, housing and respite but it also needs to be co-ordinated at a Government level so that all the various agencies tie in together.

Sentiment score: 0.09