Senator Burke calls for additional respite beds in Mayo

The Department of Health must consider substantially increasing the number of respite beds available in Ireland, Senator Paddy Burke has said.

The call comes after an announcement yesterday of an additional 4,367 new hospital beds nationwide.

The Fine Gael senator welcomed this announcement, however acknowledged the lack of mention around extra respite beds. 

Senator Burke called on Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly, to communicate plans for respite beds and invited Anne Rabbitte, Minister of State at the Department of Health, to the Seanad for a debate on the provision of respite beds throughout the country.

“I am pleased to see Minister Stephen Donnelly acknowledge that bed capacity must catch up to our growing and ageing population. However, there was no mention in the announcement of a plan for extra respite beds,” he said.

Senator Burke continued: “In my own constituency of Mayo, there is currently huge demand for respite beds, and I believe this need is echoed all over Ireland.

“For example, the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar, which had been closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, reopened recently, and received two new respite and rehabilitation beds.

While the Mayo senator called this ‘great news’, he said the reality is that the hospital ‘does not have the funding to carry out the service properly’. 

“The reopening is having a positive impact on the town and the region more broadly, but one bed is hardly enough. According to Census 2022 figures, over 299,000 people are family carers in Ireland, and Family Carers Ireland believes the real figure is actually much higher than that,” he added. 

The senator furthermore explained that those undertaking the ‘vital work’ of respite care are often met with ‘little relief’. 

Senator Burke concluded: “It’s time the Minister took respite seriously. The well-being of our carers must be a priority – not an afterthought.”