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26 Jan 2026

Mid Ulster families are 'being pushed to breaking point' - urgent action needed on respite and support services for children

Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin said families across the area continue to struggle to access adequate respite and direct payment support through the Northern Trust

Election 'can change the course of history forever' - Sheerin

Emma Sheerin MLA.

Reporter:

Staff Reporter

26 Jan 2026 2:00 PM

Email:

news@derrynow.com

Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin has renewed calls for urgent action on respite and support services for children with complex needs, warning that families are being pushed to breaking point.
 
Speaking in the Assembly this week in an adjournment debate that she had secured with the Health Minister,  the Mid-Ulster MLA said: “Families across the area continue to struggle to access adequate respite and direct payment support through the Northern Trust.
 
“I brought the adjournment debate to raise these concerns, as I have done repeatedly with successive Health Ministers.
 
“Services such as Hollybank in Magherafelt provide exceptional care, but there simply isn’t enough respite available, and families no longer have certainty or consistency.
 
“I also have concerns around the allocation of direct payment hours, with some families caring for children who need 24-hour supervision receiving as little as four to eight hours of support per week.
“These parents are exhausted, unable to work and constantly on alert and many feel they are not being listened to.
 
“The case of my constituent highlights these systemic failures. This young man has ADHD, autism and learning difficulties, yet his needs have repeatedly been misunderstood and insufficiently supported.
 
“Families are not looking for special treatment, they are looking for fairness, dignity and a system that properly supports some of the most vulnerable in our community.”

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