*Photograph: Natasha Barton.
ENABLE IRELAND’s €1.2m residential respite service in Barefield has been officially opened.
Funding has been announced by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley (FF)to double the annual bed nights at Hazeldene Residential Respite Service in Barefield from 700 to 1400.
Acquired by Enable Ireland in the autumn of 2024, the property has been transformed from a B&B into a new residential respite service. The service comprises three bedrooms in the main area of the house and, within the same house, a one-bedroom self-contained apartment suitable for children and young people who may require a quieter space and prefer time on their own, and for emergency and crisis placements. At full capacity, the service can accommodate four children or young people up to eighteen years of age.
Young people with complex needs including autism and intellectual disabilities based in the Mid-West region will be accommodated through the new service in Barefield. Children staying in the house will have access to two secure garden areas, one dedicated to the apartment, both with outdoor play equipment and be supported by a full complement of staff including nursing, social care and support staff.
From 2010, Enable Ireland provided their services from Eden Lodge in Clare but they have now transferred to Hazeldene. The new facility will cost €1.7m to run annually and will employ 23 whole-time equivalents.
Speaking at the official opening on Thursday morning, Minister Foley announced additional funding to double the bed nights annually from 2026 which she described as “a material difference”. She noted, “the home is really beautiful” while praising the work of Enable Ireland and the HSE. “I came across a quote recently, ‘the shoe that fits one person pinches another’ and I think it is applicable today”.
Minister Foley added, “a building is bricks and mortar, what is most important is spirit and heart, long may it thrive and prosper”.
Director, David Walsh outlined, “This isn’t a new service, it is a new beginning for a service going for the last 20 years, the addition of funding has maximised the use of the space”.
Regional Executive Officer with the HSE, Sandra Broderick stated, “it is so vital that we have this centre and that we can deliver more respite needs”. She said, “today’s event is about more than opening a building, it is about ensuring every child with additional needs knows they are valued”.
