Number of respite hours for Cork carers down by a third

HSE data shows that the number of respite hours provided to people in Cork reduced by 33% in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.

Respite is a planned service provided to the clients on the public health nursing caseload in need of same, a HSE spokesperson explained.

“Respite beds in private nursing homes are booked months in advance by the public health nursing service,” the spokesperson said.

“These respite beds are in constant demand, and vacant beds are very rare.

“Where a respite bed is cancelled (usually at short notice), the bed is offered to the next person on the respite cancellation list.”

So far this year, 8,880 respite hours were provided to people in Cork on the public health nursing caseload in June, 7,872 in May, 11,928 in April, 11,568 in March, 9,216 in February, and 9,864 in January.

In 2024, some 15,408 hours were provided in June, 17,592 in May, 16,272 in April, 15,504 in March, 13,224 in February, and 10,752 in January.

Reduced

The hours reduced from 88,752 hours for the first six months of 2024 to 59,328 in the same time period this year — a 33% reduction.

Other figures show there was an average of 8,307 respite hours provided per month in Cork in 2022, which increased to 10,808 in 2023, then 13,318 in 2024, but fell to 9,888 on average per month this year.

Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould, to whom the data was provided, told The Echo: “I want to be very clear. There has not been a 33% reduction in the number of people being cared for in Cork. Stress and burnout for carers has not reduced by a third, nor has the number of people who need these hours.

“What we need to know now is why this reduction has happened.

“It is extremely worrying that in the months following an election campaign where carers featured as a huge issue, and where promises were made by both government parties, we are seeing such a significant downturn in the number of respite hours provided.”

“We need clarity urgently from the HSE and Government,” he added. “Why have these figures reduced, and when will they return to the levels of last year?”