LATEST: Parents of intellectually disabled adults fear future amid housing shortfall

Concerns raised by Tipperary south TD Seamus Healy over the future care of adults with intellectual disabilities are to be brought before a Cabinet subcommittee, the Dáil has heard.

Speaking on February 17 in the Dáil, Deputy Healy highlighted the work of the Before We Die campaign, which is calling for greater choice and improved access to quality residential housing for adults with intellectual disabilities.

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He said many ageing parents are living with deep uncertainty about what will happen to their children when they are no longer able to provide care.

“The question that all parents, especially those in their 70s and 80s, ask is this: ‘What will happen to my son or daughter when we are no longer able to care for them?’” Deputy Healy told the Dáil.

He said one parent had confided that the anxiety of not knowing the answer was enough to keep them awake at night. According to the deputy, there is currently no clear response to that question.

Years of underfunding and inadequate planning, he argued, have left the system under severe strain, with elderly parents, some in poor health themselves, continuing to shoulder the burden.

Deputy Healy asked when the Government would deliver the additional 900 supported residential places he said that are required, when waiting times for suitable accommodation would be reduced, and when people with intellectual disabilities and their families would be included in decisions concerning these placements.

Responding in the chamber, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he had met representatives of the Before We Die campaign and described the discussion as constructive. “These are very serious issues,” he said.

The Taoiseach acknowledged shortcomings in coordination between local authorities, section 39 organisations and Government departments, in particular those responsible for housing and disability services.

He confirmed that the matter would be placed on the agenda of the next Cabinet subcommittee meeting, with the aim of establishing a framework capable of supporting affected families.

“I am placing it on the agenda of the next Cabinet subcommittee meeting with a view to creating a structure that will work to support families in this situation,” he said, adding that the issues involved were complex and could not be fully addressed in the time available.

He noted that the HSE maintains responsibility for those with moderate to severe disabilities, but said a broader continuum of care is required, encompassing sheltered and supported housing tailored to individual need.

Between local authorities, central Government and approved housing bodies, the Taoiseach said, a more proactive and structured response should be achievable.

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