There is outrage over revelations that the HSE has cut the number of hours of respite care it provides to Donegal children with intellectual disabilities by 245,551 since 2013.
The number of respite hours delivered in Donegal is down to 23,668 in 2018: more than 70% fewer than had been provided just five years ago.
Sinn Féin Deputy Pearse Doherty, who obtained the figures, has branded them as ‘grotesque’ and ‘unforgiveable’.
He said: “They show that back in 2013 there were 80,773 hours of respite provided to children with intellectual disabilities living in Donegal, while last year this figure had tumbled to just over 23,500.
“While there were 70 per cent fewer respite hours delivered in 2018 compared to 2013, there was a shocking 245,551 cumulative reduction in the number of overall respite hours provided to children in this county over the past five years – that is nothing short of grotesque and it is simply unforgiveable to say the least.”
The Donegal T.D. said the people of Donegal will be “rightly disgusted and saddened” by these figures.
“Respite services are a vital part of any health care system as they provide much needed relief and a welcome break to families and loved ones caring for children living with high dependency needs and or complex health conditions.
“It’s of course understandable that the number of hours of respite needing to be delivered will inevitably differ from one year to the next due to changing demand with hours may having to be reduced owing to variables such as some children transitioning to adult care, other children sadly passing away, families relocated, etc.
“However, the sheer scale of the cuts made to the number of respite hours provided by the HSE to children residing here over the past five years cannot be explained by simple demographic changes or other related reasons.
“Clearly, a willful decision has been taken by authorities to make these cut backs and the feedback which I’ve been receiving from parents and service users paint a picture of families struggling to access supports.
“And these figures today bear this out, so much so that we now not only have anecdotal evidence of their plight but we also have hard facts to back them up.”
Deputy Doherty is calling on the government to take responsibility for the drop in respite care:
“They must hang their heads in shame for what they have allowed to happen under their watch as they have allowed some of the most vulnerable children in this county and their families to go without these crucial supports.”