Urgent need for provision of additional respite places

Some carers are looking after people 24/7 and urgently needed respite said Cllr Mary Bohan who proposed that the council call on the Minister for Health and the HSE to address the urgent need for the provision of additional respite places for families in need saying the current system is "inadequate".She said that respite and short-break services are vital for such families and while 5,000 people were provided with respite services in 2022, 20,000 people needed the service but were unable to access it. 

She said that around 500,000 people in the country provide care for individuals with disabilities and, without respite, the person they care for will eventually have to go into care full-time which will cost "a lot more money for the HSE". 

She said respite "means so much to these people to get a break and some of these people are on duty 24/7" and said that "it's time that they were rewarded."

Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire seconded the motion.