Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy Healy-Rae said the daughter has an acquired brain injury, has had strokes, and is speechless. She requires a hoist to get her in and out of bed everyday.
The mother, who is now in her 70s and suffers from health complications, is her daughter’s sole carer for over 35 years.
Deputy Healy-Rae referenced the wider issue of home care provision calling it inadequate and that it either ‘never turns up’ or is insufficient when it does.
“The mother is now sick. She was promised three visits by two people each day but only one person is coming once a day. She is sick herself. This is not fair,” he said.
“Why can the HSE not employ contract workers? This poor mother is over 70 years of age. She is suffering and she has suffered for the last 35 years in seeing after her daughter. Now, when she is not able to see after herself, she needs the three visits each day from two people, given a hoist is needed to get the daughter out of bed, put her to bed and those little things,” he said.
The deputy said he cannot understand why the HSE does not have the staff. He stated he is not blaming the Minister of State, but blames the HSE.
“I am sick of it,” he said.
“Something will have to be done about it. It is time to call ‘stop’. I do not want these glossy magazines or reports on anything. The facts are there, and the government knows it. They must be seen after,” he added.
Separately, Deputy Healy-Healy came under fire for his comments in relation to autism in an earlier Dáil speech on Wednesday.
In a debate during a motion on Special Education School Places, the deputy spoke of the increase in autism and questioned why this is happening. He was heavily criticised for suggesting autism may be caused due to a lack of vitamins.
“It seems to me that autism and many of these complex needs are on the increase. We need to do more to find out what is causing it and if there is a reason. It seems to me that many more are presenting than in my younger days,” he said.
“Even when I was going to school, it did not seem to be an issue at all at that time. There were very few anyway. I am wondering what it is, and I have asked this question here before in different debates. Is there something causing it? Is it lack of some vitamins or what is it? We need to address that part of it as well because there could be something that is causing it,” he added.
Deputy Healy-Rae has been asked to withdraw the comments by some politicians.