No dedicated respite beds in Donegal for Children with Disabilities

There are no dedicated respite beds available to children with disabilities or their families in Donegal, it was revealed at this week’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum West in Galway.

In total, there are nine shared respite facilities available at present, located in Mountcharles at Seaview House (4 beds) and Ballymacool Respite House in Letterkenny (5 Beds).

But “due to geographical spread, most centres operate children and adult respite services on an alternate week basis,” the HSE have said.

Meanwhile it was learned that Drumboe Respite House in Stranorlar is currently closed to respite due to being occupied by three people with disabilities who are homeless.

Riverwalk Respite House in Carndonagh is also currently closed to respite following recently being vacated by one person with disabilities who was homeless.

That centre is currently awaiting derogation to recruit the necessary staff to resume respite services.

Cllr Gerry McMonagle, who raised his concerns at the meeting was not impressed with the continuing situation in which the county found itself in:

“I don’t think this is good enough. We’ve been meeting with the CDNT (Children's disability network team) families and there is a lot of requests for respite beds.

“I also noticed that there are two currently closed due to long term occupants and the other centre is awaiting a derogation to be allowed to recruit the necessary staff to resume services and we need to do better than that.

“This is not good enough, there are families out there that need respite and there isn’t available beds in Donegal for that.

“I am just wondering, if that is the case, are children from families in Donegal having to travel to access respite, if there is no availability within the county?”

He was told by Maria Ferguson Head of HR, Community Healthcare, Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan Sligo that “regrettably as you have said, people are having to travel to receive any respite and we do continue to work on that agenda as you know.

“In relation to the derogations at Riverwalk we have set up a panel, it’s a healthcare assistant and a nurse manager that is required there, so we have submitted the derogation request in December and we are awaiting a decision on that at the moment and are hopeful that we will be able to move forward with that recruitment which would allow those beds in Riverwalk to be looked at further.”

“We are continuing to work to advocate for a dedicated children’s respite centre in the region, but currently that isn’t available to families and their children.”

In reply, Cllr McMonagle in thanking Ms Ferguson for her “answer and honesty”, said:

“It is long past the time to have a dedicated respite centre in Donegal. I don’t think it is good enough. And here again, people from Donegal have to travel. And this is not good enough and certainly not good enough for our children and those families.”

He suggested that the HSE look at Ballymacool Respite House in Letterkenny as a potential solution to the problem.

“That could be extended a bit to take into account the children side of it and designate it solely for children and their families and I would ask the HSE to look at that seriously and maybe try in the very near future to see if that was viable and make plans to expand the Ballymacool Respite House . . . because this isn’t going to go away”.