Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too wish to join in welcoming the witnesses here today and thank them for their presentations. I felt quite emotional when they were giving it and I am only listening to the story. I cannot but begin to understand how emotional the family must feel. The story raised many issues for us. However, what I really respect the family for is the fact that they also brought forward suggestions. In our role as the committee dealing with health and children, we now need to do something and channel that.

I was very interested when Conor was speaking on access to speech and language and psychology services and supports in his local community because it is something that really must be developed more. Conor mentioned how his mother had at times to fight for those services. My background is in children's rights.

From this and in campaigning for children's rights I have learned that securing rights for children is often about the pester power of parents. The reason I want children to have stronger rights is that parents will pester and ensure their children secure these rights.

I am interested in learning a little more about this issue. All of us deal with issues such as delays in obtaining speech and language services. While there is a pathway into more general services, in the case of children with an acquired brain injury these services must be highly specialised if they are to deal with their needs. I would like to understand more about this. While I support Deputy Ó Caoláin's view that we should write to the Minister for Health, it should also be noted that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the Child and Family Agency have a major role in ensuring the availability of dedicated services for children. I do not want the establishment of Child and Family Agency to make it more difficult for the National Rehabilitation Hospital, for example, to access and line up these types of services for patients leaving the hospital. This is an important issue.

The provision of supports for children and young people is critical. Acquired Brain Injury Ireland obviously does not have a separate section for children. The ripple effect of acquired brain injury on a family, to which Paul referred, is a very important issue. One needs to know what language one should use and what one should ask. I thought of my father who had a stroke about two years ago when I was listening to the presentations. While everyone speaks about access to services, relatives of people who have had a stroke do not know what services they should ask for. Acquired brain injury is similar in that it is not a condition for which people are prepared and there is no lead-in period. People must deal with the issue suddenly. I admire what the witnesses have done in advancing this issue.

It is good for the joint committee to hear recommendations and suggestions. We should pursue these with the two Departments that come within the ambit of the joint committee and seek to ensure clear pathways are available for children and their families who find themselves in these circumstances. The provision of community supports and the ability to access them, as appropriate, are critical because these are longer-term services.

I was interested in Conor and Paul's comments about school. I will need to think about them because they had an impact on me. Conor's remark on not wishing to be known on the basis of how he was before and after the accident was very insightful. We must be cognisant of this issue and find a way to allow children and young people to be who they are. I thank the witnesses very much.