Connaught Telegraph Tim Ryan, Oireachtas Correspondent Lack Of

Connaught Telegraph Tim Ryan, Oireachtas Correspondent Lack of respite care services for adults with mental disabilities highlighted The provision of respite care for adults with mental disabilities in the Ballina area of County Mayo was raised in the Upper House by Senator Michelle Mulherin. A problem arose last March she said when there was a safeguarding emergency which meant that current service users could not avail of the service because it had to be provided to a particular person on account of the safeguarding emergency that arose. Unfortunately, she said the service does not appear to have resumed or returned to normal. “There also appears to be a problem with information feeding back to the families of the dependent adults on when a normal service will resume,” she said. “Between 40 and 43 adults in the Ballina area received the service in 2016, so it is important for the families. These adults are often in the care of their parents and the respite care provides a break for the dependent adults and their families. The fact that the service has been disrupted is also a cause of concern because many of these dependent adults have anxiety problems or suffer from autism. They need regularity of service and to avoid disruption.” “I have put questions to the HSE management and to Western Care Mayo but I received no satisfactory answers,” she said. In response, Minister of State Finian McGrath said in respect of the Ballina area, Western Care is funded by the HSE to provide 931 bed nights of adult respite per annum throughout 2017. In 2016, this level of service was provided to approximately 40 people. “However, in March 2017, respite was cancelled for all service-users in the Ballina area as the facility had to be used to provide emergency residential placement, which caused the blockage there,” he said. “As a result, Western Care is currently examining all possible options available, including reconfiguration of services, in order to restore some level of respite care in this area. Western Care is currently in discussions with the HSE to examine options with regard to solving this issue. The HSE remains committed to ensuring that respite services resume as quickly as possible. I also wish to reassure the Senator that we have included a strong focus on respite care services in the social care plan for 2017 to 2018 in our negotiations over coming weeks.” Conway-Walsh welcomes raiding of Insurance Ireland Offices The raiding of the Office of Insurance Ireland by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission was welcomed in the Upper House by Mayo Senator Rose Conway-Walsh. “As a member of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, I sat through many sessions where we attempted to get clarity as to why the premiums had rocketed in recent years,” she said. “I also labelled the industry as behaving like a cartel. The fact that the Central Bank accused companies of not providing information or providing false information seems good grounds for an action such as that.” She said the massive spikes in insurance premiums left many people in financial difficulty. “There were no explanations given for these massive hikes,” she said. “After attending an entire module of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach during which all the major companies were questioned, we were still none the wiser as to why the premiums rocketed in the first place. The answers we received were evasive, contradictory and repetitive. It is a pity that actions such as this are necessary to get to the truth. I hope that these raids will form the start of a thorough and forensic investigation into an industry that has not been helpful or forthright in answering questions.” Britain wants Ireland to pull out of the EU - Burke The decision of the UK on fishing in its waters will have a significant effect on the fishing industry in Ireland and Europe, Senator Paddy Burke told the Seanad. “The British want Ireland to pull out of the EU,” he said. “It is well known that quite a number of politicians in the UK would like Ireland to pull out of the EU because there would be a ready-made border between the British Isles and Europe. There would be no problem in Ireland and it would suit the British if there was a water rather than land border. It is also well known that the House of Lords compiled a report and quite a number of Lords, including Lord Howard, want Ireland to pull out of the EU.” “While we are firmly European and are committed to Europe, it is important that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine come to the House to discuss fishing in British waters,” he said. “I am of the view that Britain will raise every issue against us in order to weaken our case and try to get us to pull out of Europe.” .

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