Frustration is mounting within the special needs community over the lack of communication from those at the top of the HSE and politics. On April 8th Minister for Disabilities, Anne Rabbitte, came to Monaghan Town and publicly announced she would be providing a new building for children's respite and while that is being procured and built, her department would provide "interim" accommodation, which, she estimates will be "ready to go" "within a 3-month turnaround".
Then, a week later, Monaghan families found a 48-bedroom partially-built nursing home, which they say would be ideal for developing into the day centre and overnight respite centre they desperately need. But to date, there has been no further developments and very little communication from the HSE and the Disabilities Department.
Members of the Special Needs Active Parents group have been following up on the Minister's announcement with her office and the HSE Child Services Team for this area. Bar some emails and phonecalls from staff in both offices saying someone will be in touch with information soon, parents who have children at home with them all day because they have no school or respite place, have been left in bureaucratic limbo.
Paddy McAloon has two children with complex needs. He told Northern Sound the way families are being treated is causing a lot of stress: "We cannot get an answer to where we are," Paddy told Northern Sound, "Like the house in Blayney that was promised to be ready by October. I'm sure they're working on it but, we don't know if they are or not. We don't know if they are working on it, where is is or what stage it's at.
"Look, it's being kicked about like somebody knows what's happening or, somebody knows it's not going to happen. It's time to instead of just pushing it further away ... we tried to get a meeting with Heather [Humphreys] as well but, that hasn't happened," a frustrated paddy said.
