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Minister for Disability Anne Rabbitte outlines additional respite provision for 2021

  • Alternative respite services are additional to nine new respite centres 
  • Minister ensured innovative use of "time related savings" 
  • Person-Centred supports include summer camps, holidays, home from home and other types of service delivery

PRESS RELEASE: 02 August 2021  

Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte TD today announced increased alternative respite being provided this year, which will enhance support for service users and their families as part of HSE response to living with COVID-19.   

This initiative builds on Government commitment to develop a new centre-based respite facility in each CHO area, (nine in total) to meet the specific needs and priorities within the CHO at a full year cost of cost of €5.5m.  

Minster Rabbitte said: 

“I am delighted to see such a wide variety of alternative respite being delivered to children and adults with a disability. 

In Budget 2021, the Government provided €5.5m for the development of a new centre-based respite facility in each CHO area, to meet the specific needs and priorities within the CHO. I was proud to announce the progress on each of these centres recently, 8 of which are expected to open this year, and the remaining centre will open in early 2022. 

I was also keen to make sure that that the full year allocation was available from January 2021. This allowed for time-related savings to be used on a once off basis to enhance existing respite provision or to provide alternative and outreach respite.  

My goal is to ensure that the full allocation made available from January 2021 is used to enhance respite provision.” 

She continued:  

“I have met with many service users, families, and providers, and know how important respite can be for relieving pressure and increasing quality of life. I hope this announcement will highlight the great work carried out by the HSE and service providers in a very challenging time, and in line with public health guidance.” 

Alternative respite can be provided in the form of innovative in-home supports, sports or summer camps, holiday, or hotel breaks, and much more, and provides a welcome break or change to service users and eases pressure on families.  

Tailored services are provided for service users based on priority need. Services include items such as bespoke holidays, supports for participation in mainstream programmes, Home Share Respite, and other person-centred respite programmes.  

 

ENDS 

Notes to Editor: 

Services are provided on a priority needs basis and the following table outlines the broad range of services available in each CHO area, including but limited to:

 

CHO 1 (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q1 2022 

Serving the Sligo-Leitrim area  

Alternative Respite: 

-Tailored in- home support packages for over 20 Children,  

- increased respite hours for 30 Children and Adults,  

- extension of home-to-home scheme,  

- hotel breaks,  

-School Holiday and weekend camps/activity sessions to be delivered throughout the CHO. 

 

 

CHO 2 (Galway, Roscommon, Mayo) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q3 2021 

Opening in Galway East, delivering 225 bed nights in 2021 

 

Alternative Respite: 

- 1236 additional nights of Respite in 2021, across the CHO area. 

- Enhanced respite for people with complex needs. 

- Increase in in-home supports,  

- Provision of enhanced respite and family support for Children in Urgent need  

- Increase of In-home supports 

 

CHO 3 (Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary) 

New Respite Centre Opened: Q2 2021 

St Gabriel's, a service for children with complex support needs commenced in May 2021. 

Alternative Respite: 

- 28 nights of centre based summer respite for children with ASD.  

- Over 2,800 hours of additional in-home support for Children. 

- 100 additional respite nights for Children. 

- 172 Additional respite nights, including Home Share and Residential respite, for 28 Adults 

-160 nights of short-break summer holiday for service users with complex needs. 

- Support for Group activities throughout the CHO 

 

 

CHO 4 (Kerry, Cork) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q4 2021 

Serving Adults in Cork region 

 

Alternative Respite: 

- 130 nights Holiday Overnight respite in addition to providing an additional 65 nights home/away respite.  

- Respite for Children from 22 families provided in Trabolgan Holiday Centre. 

-  40 additional nights respite for adults 

- A range of alternative respite options will be provided by service providers across the CHO. 

 

 

CHO 5 (South Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q4 2021 

The Service for Adults based in Kilkenny.  

  

 

Alternative Respite: 

- Additional respite support for 18 people with Disabilities who have  complex needs. 

- Summer respite and supported holidays for over 20 people, mainly children. 

- The balance of savings are being used for set up costs for the centre-based service  

 

CHO 6 (Wicklow East, Dublin South East) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q4 2021 

The new Respite Service for adults based in Glenageary Co Dublin. 

Alternative Respite: 

- Holiday break for Children 

- Additional funding is being used to upgrade the facility to HIQA standards. 

 

CHO 7 (Kildare, Wicklow West, Dublin West, Dublin South City, Dublin South West) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q4 2021 

The centre will provide respite for children and will be based in Kildare.. 

Alternative Respite: 

- Afterschool respite for Children till 8pm 

- Additional overnight respite for Children with additional support needs. 

- A project to review Respite provision is also underway 

 

 

CHO 8 (Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q3 2021 

A new respite service catering for adults located in Offaly 

Alternative Respite: 

- Hotel/Breaks away for Adults. 

- Day Respite, including Evening and Weekend Day services, summer camp activities for Children and teenagers with ASD, support for Children to attend SONAS summer camps throughout the CHO. 

 

CHO 9 (Dublin North, Dublin North Central, Dublin North West) 

New Respite Centre Opening: Q3 2021 

Respite service for children in “The Hamlet” based in Swords, Co Dublin . 

Alternative Respite: 

-  Day Respite and summer camps, including clinical supports for Children to attend community-based camps and bespoke summer camps for Children with complex needs. 

- ASD High support unit will remain open for month of July. 

 - Additional Home support alternative Respite services  

- Alternative supports for 28 children and young people.