COACTION service users have been invited to attend a meeting to discuss the provision of respite care for people with disabilities in West Cork.

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The meeting will take place at 7pm on Thursday November 5 at The Maritime Hotel in Bantry.

Senator Noel O’Donovan, who has been assisting a Bantry-based campaigning group called West Cork Respite Matters, said: “This is a town hall-style meeting that will also address issues such as service capacity, unmet need, access to supports, and the development of sustainable respite options for individuals and families.”

He confirmed that HSE representatives will be in attendance to provide updates, listen to concerns and perspectives, and engage in discussion regarding respite service planning and development across the region.

Senator O’Donovan said members of the board of CoAction and CoAction’s leadership team will also be in attendance, and that he will attend to make the case for the acquisition of additional properties so that adult service users can be accommodated overnight in their communities.

Campaigners have a meeting with the Minister of State with Responsibility for Disability, Emer Higgins, in Dublin, scheduled for November 19.

One campaigner said: “We will present the minister with the relevant correspondence, financial information, the history of respite provision in Bantry and West Cork, and real-life family experiences highlighting the devastating impact of prolonged respite shortages, including carer burnout.”