Fianna Fáil's Michael McGrath has urged the government to prioritise the number of residential placements in the disability sector across Cork.

His comments come after alarming figures confirmed 252 adults and children were on a waiting list for a residential placement in Cork.

Speaking in the Dáil the Cork South Central TD said: "The Brothers of Charity in Cork have 13 children and 64 adults with disabilities on a waiting list.

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"Incredibly, some children on the Brothers of Charity waiting list have been waiting up to 10 years while some adults are on the list for up to 15 years. These service providers are doing outstanding work but they can only deliver the services they are funded by the HSE and the government to provide.

"I am calling on the HSE and the government to put a plan in place to tackle this crisis as a matter of priority," he concluded.

(CM/MH)