I thank Deputy O'Hara. The Minister, Deputy Foley, thanks him for raising this important issue and I will respond on her behalf. The HSE is very much aware of the importance of respite service provision for the families of children with disabilities and the impact the absence of respite service provision can have on other services being delivered. As Deputy O'Hara said, respite is a vital support for families and service users, and potentially helps to prevent out-of-home full-time residential placement. Respite also helps to preserve the family unit and supports family stability. In this respect, respite is a key priority area for the HSE for people with disabilities and their families. The increased investment in respite services in recent years has impacted positively on the level of service delivered in successive years. From 2022 to 2025, overnight respite provision increased by 26% while the number of day-only sessions more than doubled in the same period. The HSE project, while adjusting for data gaps, will be above target for the full year for respite activity in 2025. About 7,500 people avail periodically of centre-based respite, with regional disparities in access to the service and overall unmet need. Budget 2026 provides €25 million additional funding for respite expansion, supporting close to 10,000 additional overnight and 25,000 additional day respite sessions. I am pleased to share with Deputy O'Hara that a number of new respite initiatives are under way in Galway, which add to the breadth of respite services available this year. Resilience Ireland is developing a new children's respite service, which will provide valuable support to families in this region. Ability West, and I agree with Deputy O'Hara on the great work it does, is establishing a new centre-based respite service in Tuam, providing critical access to respite for young adults in the area. There are also plans for a range of respite initiatives across Galway city and county over the summer period. This will involve a range of activities, including coding, sporting events and summer camps. To provide some figures for respite funding provision for County Galway, from 2018 funding has increased by more than €53,000 to €149,000. This is an increase of approximately 275% over the seven-year period. The number of people in receipt of respite over the same period has increased by approximately 24%. In the national service plan for 2026 the HSE has committed to investing €25 million in respite services.

Sentiment score: 0.40

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is a priority for the Minister, Deputy Foley, the Department and the whole Government. I agree that respite services are essential for people with disabilities and their families. The Government is committed to the continued expansion and development of respite services, as set out in the programme for Government and the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. To support the HSE in its work to provide and develop respite services and in recognition of the importance of support for disabled people and their families, budget 2026 provided significant additional funding to support respite service expansion in 2026. As I said earlier, there is €25 million in additional funding. That funding will be used to support a range of service openings and expansions across the country, including a range of respite initiatives over the summer period. There will be a particular focus on strengthening provision in areas that currently have a lower level of supports. I heard what the Deputy said about crisis funding and its importance and I will bring that to the attention of the Minister because it is a crucial issue for many families. There is the real risk of burn-out for families. The Deputy mentioned the equine centre. This is not contained in the response I have before me but I remember visiting the equine centre in Ability West and the excellent work done there. I will mention that to the Minister.

Sentiment score: 0.25